Palladium
by Russetwing
Summary: Dawn is an average girl from Twinleaf Town. But, with multiple appearances from her famous childhood idol, new friends, rivals, problematic Pokemon, heartache, enemies, and the fate of Sinnoh resting on her shoulders, can Dawn really be called average?
1. Prologue

_Hey there, my name is Russetwing, and this is my very first fanfic! In case you didn't already know, this is a fanfic about Dawn, and her adventures in Pokemon Platinum. I hope you enjoy, and when (if) you review, please be nice. This is my first fanfic, after all._

_Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Pokemon, Nintendo, or any of it's associated characters, places, etc. This is my disclaimer for the entire story, because I'm not going to do it more than once._

* * *

><p>~Prologue~<p>

"'Pokemon are by our side, always. I hope you understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region. That concludes our special program, 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time!"

The blue-haired man sitting in the intimidating black armchair snarled in disgust as he clicked off the tv. Casting the remote aside, he stood up and walked over to the balcony door of his suite, throwing the doors open and stepping outside, not even flinching when the doors crashed against the walls. That stupid Professor, thinking he knows everything about pokemon and people.

The man rested his hands on the iron railing and breathed deeply. Running a hand through his greasy blue hair, he began to slowly calm down. Looking out at the serene Kanto landscape, though, it just… _angered_ him. He needed a clear head to keep those idiot minions of his in line. He couldn't afford to screw up, not after he had already gotten this far. With his goal in mind, the man instantly sobered, a determined look coming across his face.

He walked back into his elaborate suite, not bothering to close the doors behind him. He sat down in front of his hi-tech computer and began drawing up various complicated-looking files.

A rattling sound coming from his balcony summoned the man out of his trance. When he stared at the darkness, he thought he saw a strange shape moving from the edge, but then it disappeared just as quickly. He shook his head, clearing all paranoia from his mind.

He turned back to face the computer, and gazed in longing at the map of Sinnoh staring back at him. Slowly, as if in a trance, his eyes wandered from the western-most body of water, to the northern-most, to the eastern-most. Three blinking dots stood in each of them. The man smiled, and the smile quickly grew into a slightly crazed grin as he imagined the days when he would stride into the caves, and collect the most extraordinary prizes. He began chuckling, imagining the triumphant feeling that would surely follow.

He would travel to Sinnoh. He would show that know-it-all Professor who really knows best. Oh, no doubt the professor would send his best to try and stop him, but the insolent pests would be no match for his commanders, and if they somehow managed that, he himself would be waiting. They were all just little, weak, _disposable_ pawns on a chess game he controlled.

And then the Professor would certainly take back his words. He would make Rowan bow down to him, and grovel at his feet. Revenge was right after taking over the world on the man's list.

Oh yes. He would succeed.

Cyrus would make sure of it.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, that was the prologue. I hope it was alright, and I am most certainly open to suggestions. The first chapter will be in Dawn's point of view, but I need some help. Oh, and don't worry. The other chapters will be much longer.<em>

_I feel as if I should give Dawn a love interest, but I need someone's opinion as to who to make it. So, the options are…_

_A) Lucas_

_B) Barry_

_C) OC_

_D) No one_

_Please review, and please answer! I need help, here! And also, constructive criticism is much appreciated! Oh, and the word is constructive criticism, so no flames please!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey there again. Wow, I got my first review in less than twenty-four hours! You liked me, you really liked me! I find this as an immense feat, considering I just published this yesterday. In fact, that made me so excited, I decided to update!_

_Please do enjoy!_

_Shout-out to Pure Gamer!_

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><p><em>~Chapter 1~<em>

"'Pokemon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words.' That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region. That concludes our special program, 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next week, same time!"

My eyes shined with excitement as I turned away from the tv, a smile forming on my lips. I picked up my old and worn journal, with its familiar pink background and a pokeball in the center. I stroked the worn cover with my thumb and opened it up to my last entry, some random story about lunchtime at school when Barry had managed to get ice cream on the back of his neck. I jotted down some notes about Professor Rowan's arrival in Sinnoh, but I was interrupted when a crash sounded from the stairs leading up to my room, followed by a muffled "Ow!"

I rolled my eyes as my childhood friend Barry burst into my room, rubbing his head, but a wild grin on his face all the same. His messy blond hair flopped in front of his eyes, and he lazily blew up on it, only causing it to fall back in its place. I smirked as he glared at it, but only managing to look cross-eyed. He shook his head as his reason for charging into my bedroom flitted back across his mind. Barry was just so easy to read, he was like an open book.

"There you are! Dawn, did you just see the tv?" He glanced at the tv, seeing a commercial about some new movie starring a Wigglytuff and a Psyduck, something about both their families hating each other, but they fall in love somehow and meet in secret.

"Of course I did! Who do you think I am, some trainer wannabe? I do my research!" I exclaimed, crossing the room to scold him. I stood in front of him and crossed my arms, giving him a frown.

"Course you did," He stammered, "It was a rhetorical question." I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. "But Professor Rowan's back!" At his obvious statement, I lifted one of my eyebrows. He was going somewhere with this, probably. "Which means he must have a lot of Pokemon! So, if we ask him, I bet he'd give _us_ some Pokemon!"

"..._What?_" I blurted, unable to grasp Barry's insane plan. Professor Rowan, give us, two average kids from Twinleaf Town, our very own Pokemon? My imagination basked in the very thought of the idea, but the sensible part of me was hesitant to so easily become wrapped up in the excitement. "Don't we have to have a bunch of fancy qualifications in order to become a trainer?" I asked, furrowing my brows, and feeling slightly guilty as Barry's face fell, but the guilt quickly turned to confusion as his face perked up almost instantly.

"Well, I thought of that, too! If we get a pass signed from the Professor, we can travel as long as we make a stop at the Trainer School in Jubilife and get our permit! We could do it!" He grabbed my shoulders as realization dawned on me. We could do it! We could actually do it! We could get our Pokemon and become official trainers!

Barry and I had always had a slightly uncanny obsession with becoming Pokemon trainers, ever since we were little. We always got the highest marks in our Pokemon studies class in school, and on the day in sixth grade where some rangers brought in Pokemon to play with, we almost fainted.

A grin spread across my face and I started giggling uncontrollably as excitement rushed through me. I grabbed Barry's shoulders and started shaking him as hard as I possibly could while he started laughing along with me, and we let go of the other's shoulders and kept on laughing, eventually collapsing to the floor, probably looking like a pair of lunatics, both laughing so hard that we couldn't breath, clutching our stomaches. My mind went back to distant memories, when Barry and I used to do this as small children when we were excited about something, like going to the amusement park or the zoo.

Barry suddenly stopped laughing and stood up, rushing over to my desk.

"Hey, is that a new PC?" He questioned, looking at me with quizzical eyes, and I smirked at his short attention span.

"No, stupid, it's still the same one, just like the last five times you've asked." I smirked as I recounted the last five or more times that he visited, always questioning my PC.

"Oh. Well, that thing must be dinosaur by now! You need a new one!" He exclaimed hotheadedly. I rolled my eyes at the expected comment.

"Anyways, when should we head out?" I asked, not wanting to get into an argument. A determined look crossed his face, and I absent-mindedly started biting my thumbnail.

"Hm, well- Ah, you're doing it again." Barry pointed out, gesturing to my bitten thumb.

"Huh? Wha- _Agh!_" I yelled. Biting my nails was a bad habit that I'd picked up as a child and carried on until I was fourteen, although I still chewed on my nails whenever I became stressed. I had been trying to break the habit, rather unsuccessfully though.

"Where was I? Oh, right, right! We're going to see the Professor!" He exclaimed, while I was thinking how he looked like a monkey with his posture.

"Now?"

"Yeah! I'll be waiting outside! Okay, Dawn? I'm fining you $10 million if you're late!" He yelled, rushing down my stairs.

"Wait!" I shouted, but Barry was already long gone. I sighed, exasperated with my hasty friend. He always ran at the pace he wanted, and never understood why everyone didn't always keep up with him. "Oh well," I murmured, "Guess I have no choice but to get ready…"

I got dressed, changing out of my sweats and t-shirt and exchanging it for my usual attire, a black top and pink skirt. I secured my hair in pink hair clips, and, upon checking the weather, decided to put on my favorite hot pink coat with its pink buttons, and pulled on some above-the-knee white socks. I slipped on my pink rain boots and tied a thick white scarf around my neck, finally finishing the look with usual my white hat with the pink half-pokeball design.

When I looked at the clock, I saw that it had only been ten minutes since Barry left. I sighed. Barry would get his $10 million yet.

I sauntered down the steps, not bothering to hurry. Barry would already count me as late, so why bother getting all out of breath?

"Hey, Mom!" I sat down next to her on the couch, already wondering how I was going to pitch this idea to her.

"Good morning. Barry already left. I don't know what it was about, but he seemed in a real hurry!" She smiled at me, silently questioning why my best friend had been in such a rush. "He didn't tell me what was going on. Really, all I heard was a _whoosh_ and then the door closing, you know how impatient he gets." I chuckled, imaging the scene. It did sound like something Barry would do.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to go meet him." I explained, an idea coming to mind. If I brought home a Pokemon along with an official signature from Professor Rowan, she couldn't possibly say no to me going on an adventure! I held my breath, praying she wouldn't ask anything else.

"Oh, all right then," Mom said, still confused, but satisfied for the moment. As I stood up and began to head for the door, she called back, "Oh, and Dawn?" I turned and nodded, nervousness clouding my vision. "Don't go into the woods, okay? Wild Pokemon might attack you, and you don't have your own Pokemon, so… Well, take care sweetheart!" I breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and nodded.

I closed the door behind me, and shivered involuntarily. I took in my surroundings, an average neighborhood, but snow covered the ground. That wasn't right. Snow? In mid-October? It should still be warm enough to go swimming, but _snow? _The weather was just being odd lately. First you hear about a mini heat wave in Snowpoint City, and now it's snowing in Twinleaf Town? In _October?_ This was getting weird.

I shook all ominous thoughts from my head and strolled down the street. At the end of the street, I saw that one of my neighbors, Bob, was mowing his lawn, or should I say, trying to mow his lawn, but the snow and cold was making it almost impossible. I waved, but just when I was about to walk past his house, he cut the engine and waved me over.

"Hey, Dawn! I think Barry was looking for you, he's in his house now." Bob informed me.

"Oh, wow, thanks, you saved me a lot of trouble there!" I said to him, thankful that I wouldn't have to wait for Barry in this cold. As I backtracked to Barry's house, I looked again at my surroundings. Twinleaf Town was charming, and both the scenery and the people were lovely to be around. Twinleaf Town stood for new beginnings, as it stood for sprouts, or buds. I always found this as a good omen, I imagined myself as a bud, who would someday blossom into a beautiful and strong flower. Cheesy, I know, but a girl can hope, right? The trees in Twinleaf Town mostly consisted of Evergreens, so the snow on the pines created a rather Christmas-y effect. The other trees still hadn't lost all of their leaves, and the snow clashed with the bright colors, making the trees look somewhat like popsicles with cotton sprinkled on them.

As I was contemplating these thoughts, I ran into Meara, one of the elderly women who lived on my street, who was taking out her trash.

I trotted over to her, and, with a gentle look, took the trash bag from her hands and lugged it to the bottom of the driveway, where I hoisted it above my head and dumped it in the already open trashcan. As it thumped into the green bin, I winced at the sound of something breaking from within the black plastic. I wrinkled my nose at some disgusting smell emanating from the bag, and quickly walked back up the driveway to greet Meara.

"Why, thank you, Dawn! That was so sweet of you!" Meara exclaimed. I smiled. Meara really was a sweet old woman in every sense of the word.

"No, really, it was no problem, I'm heading this way anyways." I told her. She smiled back at me, her wrinkly face reminding me of a grandma from the storybooks, one that bakes cookies, or raises thumb-sized little girls.

"Well, let me repay you," She enthusiastically offered. When I stubbornly shook my head, she frowned disdainfully. She always wants to repay you, even if you do her the tiniest favor. "Well, since you won't let me return the favor, I'll tell you a bit of information instead." I raised my eyebrows at this.

"What is it?" I asked eagerly, leaning forward a bit.

"That Professor Rowan is back in his lab in Sandgem Town. I know how deeply you admire him." She said, giving me a knowing look. I stared bashfully at the ground, not knowing whether to tell her that I already knew this or not. But Meara was right about one thing; I did deeply admire Professor Rowan, I had ever since I was a little girl. I remembered the day when I met him…

* * *

><p>"<em>Mommy? Who's that?" I asked my slightly younger mother, who was holding my hand as we strolled through the streets of Sandgem Town. I was pointing at a white-bearded man in a white lab coat, who was standing in front of a very official-looking building. His coat was what brought my attention to him. He reminded me of Dexter, from the kid's cartoon. The person he was standing next to had a white lab coat on, too.<em>

"_Sweetie, don't point, it's rude," My mother gently chided me and I hurriedly pulled my finger back. "That's Professor Rowan."_

"_Who?"_

"_He's a Pokemon Professor; he studies Pokemon and helps trainers get their first Pokemon."_

"_Really?" I tottered over to him and gently tugged on the end of his lab coat while my mother followed after me, her brows furrowed and her voice annoyed, but I took no notice. "Mister?" I questioned. Professor Rowan looked down at me, and his face was very… imposing. He seemed like the no-nonsense type. I let go of the soft wool of his lab coat, but I still had his attention. I swallowed and tried again, "Mister? I wanna be a Pokemon trainer. Can I have a Pokemon?" I asked shyly, looking down at my feet._

_I risked looking back up when I heard a rumbling chuckle. The man was _smiling_, actually smiling. Not the open-book type of smile, like Barry, my new friend from school, or the loving kind of smile like my mother, but it had a comforting gentleness to it. I smiled back hesitantly._

"_Dawn!" My mother approached, standing beside me, and looking apologetically at the Professor. "I apologize for my daughter, she wanted to meet you."_

"_Oh, it's not a problem," He assured her. His voice startled me. It was low, and strict, and gentle and… it commanded total attention. "So," He started, crouching down to look me in the eye. I was entranced. "You want to be a Pokemon trainer?" He asked. I nodded shyly, my dark blue eyes wide. "Well, that's wonderful," I smiled softly, "But, right now, you might be a little too young." He told me, and my brows furrowed, mimicking my mother's previous expression; now, she was onlooking with an intrigued look. "But," He said, capturing my gaze once again, "Wait until you're a little older, all right? Then, I bet you'll make a very good trainer." He said, and rested a broad hand on top of my head. I nodded and smiled at him._

* * *

><p>Ever since that day, my ultimate dream was to be a Pokemon trainer. And to meet the Professor again. I was so excited when I was nine; it meant I was almost old enough to become a trainer. But then, three weeks before my tenth birthday, I learned that the Professor was traveling to Kanto, and wasn't going to return for at least three years. I was crushed. So was Barry, because his birthday was a month after mine, so that meant he had to wait as well.<p>

But also, ever since that day, I have always harbored a deep admiration for the Professor. I read nearly all the books about Pokemon that he had ever written, and watched all of his tv interviews.

So with those memories in mind, I said my thanks and goodbyes to Meara, and walked off towards Barry's, at a slightly faster pace.

I reached Barry's dark blue door, and was about to open it, when…

_THUD!_

"_Gah!"_ Both Barry and I shouted at the same time as he collided into me, sending me flying backwards. I let out a giant huff as I hit the ground. Normally, I wouldn't have fallen, but the snow had made the ground slippery, and I was off-balance.

"Hey, what was that about?" Barry angrily questioned as he indignantly rubbed his head.

"What was that about?" I echoed, "I could ask _you_ the same thing! …Aah! My nose!" I yelped as blood started to seep from my nostrils. "Barry!" I motioned with my hand for him to help me up, which he did with a grunt.

"Sorry, but-"

"Don't start on the whole 'This was your own fault' thing with me, mister!" I shouted, sounding somewhat nasally, before he could pin the blame on my. I tilted my head back, only to choke and gag as blood flowed into my throat. I tilted my head back down as the flood began to slow down and eventually stopped altogether.

"Um… Sorry." Barry awkwardly apologized as I rubbed my nose on the back of my hand. I sniffed and faced him.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have yelled."

"Great!" I was startled at Barry's wild mood swing, then rolled my eyes. It was just so like him. "Let's go- er, wait, I forgot something! I'll be right back!" He called as he went back inside the house. After a moment's hesitation, I followed, and was greeted by his mom.

"Oh, hello Dawn," Her warm smile greeted me, "Barry's upstairs." She said, and went back to her kitchen. I sighed, smiled, and trudged up the stairs. I loved the way Barry's mom was so… carefree. It was so refreshing.

I entered Barry's semi-cluttered room, and saw him bent over a stack of items by his desk. He grabbed a couple of things, muttering under his breath, and when he heard me, his head snapped up, and he grinned.

"Okay, I'm ready!" He called, and rushed past me and down the stairs. I sighed.

"If you're gonna be that fast, then you shouldn't make me climb the stairs." I muttered under my breath as I once again trudged down the staircase. I heard the door slam and grumbled more… unintelligible things under my breath, and, with a quick goodbye to Barry's mom, headed out the door as well.

I saw him waiting by the path that leads to Sandgem Town, and hurried to meet him, passing the sign that advertised Twinleaf Town as _"Fresh and Free!"_

"Too slow!" He called, "That's $10 million!"

"You know, since you did barge into me like that, causing injury, I could sue you for just as much." I called, serious. The large grin on his face faltered for a second.

"You wouldn't really, would you?" He whispered, which caused me to laugh.

"Tell you what, how about we just both forget, and pretend like it never happened?" I said with a playful smile. Barry grinned back, nodded, and we signed the deal with a high-five.

We soon got to the end of the paved path, and came across the thick forest that acted as a barrier between Twinleaf Town and Sandgem Town. I gulped, suddenly nervous as I recalled my mother's words. Barry was about to head into the thick trees when I called him back.

"Um, is there no way we could go around the forest?" I asked, looking down at my feet. Barry was looking at me like I had grown a second head, a confused look in his eyes.

"Did you not pay attention in geography? This is the only path connecting Twinleaf Town and Sandgem Town." He frowned. I glanced past him at the dense thicket, and I couldn't even see a path. Barry trotted over to me and clapped me on the back, causing me to glare at him. "C'mon, don't be a chicken!" He teased, and, seeing as it didn't rile me up like it was supposed to, he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Listen, if you're really worried, I have a plan." I stared up at him, confused. "We just need to run through the forest really fast, and take really short breaks, and then we'll be in Sandgem Town before you know it; wild Pokemon won't even be able to catch up to us!" I began considering this, Barry and I were the fastest runners in the class, and we were on the track team, too. "And, when we head back, we'll have Pokemon with us, so we'll be fine!" I waited a moment, then nodded, though I was still reluctant.

"All right," I said, "But let's be really careful." I warned. "And if you try any sort of prank, I will _make you pay_," I said, emphasizing the last three words to make them extra-threatening. My plan worked, too, as Barry winced.

"Don't worry," He assured me, "We'll be fine." I nodded and we got into running positions at about ten feet from the edge of the woods.

"On your mark," I started, my voice shaking.

"Get set," Barry continued, his voice eager. We shared a look that meant 'on the count of three.'

"Three," I whispered.

"Two," Barry echoed.

"One-"

"_STOP!"_ I froze on the spot. I would know that voice anywhere.

Professor Rowan.

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><p><em>Okay, there you go, the very first chapter! I bet you guys could see that coming, but it's still a little mini-cliffhanger. I tried to do my best, and this took me a loooong time to write. Oh, and about the scene in the beginning, yeah, it was weird, but I didn't really make it so it would be seen as TwinleafShipping, just two excited best friends, who've known each other since they were little mini Dawns and mini Barrys.<em>

_Pure Gamer: I'm so glad you liked it! I hope you know, I will always like you from now on because you were my very first reviewer. Ever. And don't worry; I wasn't planning on making this a romantic fic at all. I'm the kind of person who can't really take it when people take a good story and build it around teenage romance instead of the sense of friendship and adventure. I also have no idea how to write fluff, so…_

_But, the question is still there! Lucas, Barry, OC, or no one?_

_Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own, Dexter's Laboratory. Unfortunately. Or Thumbelina, for those who got the reference. I loved that movie as a kid. Still do, in fact. :)_

_Read and Review, please!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	3. Chapter 2

_Hi there! First of all, I want to apologize so much for not updating in like, a week. I've been working on this chapter for the past three days, or two, because on Thursday, I started typing this, and I got about a third of the way through it, and I accidentally exited out. Without saving. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. And then, I had been replaying Platinum so that I would be able to follow the story, but I was a bit ahead. Anyways, it had taken me a very long time to beat Fantina, the Hearthome City Gym leader, for those of you that don't know, and then I made my way to Veilstone City, where Maylene caused me mucho headaches, and then I finally beat her. Then I dropped my DS. And the game popped out. And. I. Hadn't. Saved. It. I guess I learned a very valuable lesson, huh? But, the reviews I got were so wonderful, I decided to keep soldiering on. Also, it's snowing while I'm typing this. In October. I had a fit at the irony. Or coincidence. Whichever._

_Anyways, I won't annoy you with my griping anymore. Enjoy!_

_Shoutouts to Sonicboom123456 and Pure Gamer!_

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><p><em>~Chapter 2~<em>

"_STOP!"_ I gasped and froze on the spot. Barry, however, wasn't so lucky. Being the hasty person he is, he decided to take off right as we both shouted one, and Rowan's voice startled him into skidding on the snow-covered leaves and falling on his nose. Normally, I would've laughed at my best friend's misfortune, but now… I was too shocked by the Professor's sudden appearance to laugh. I whirled around, both eager and excited at the same time, but as soon as I saw his face, all of that dissipated immediately. This was _not _how I wanted to re-meet Professor Rowan. First of all, when I pictured it, I didn't expect to see him at the edge of some over-grown forest. And second, I didn't expect him to be livid.

Barry groaned and slowly picked himself back up. If I had been watching, I probably would've winced. That fall must've really hurt. I also would've seen Barry's eyes narrow and squint at the Professor, then widen in absolute shock.

"D-Dawn… This guy… It's Professor Rowan, isn't it?" Barry asked, looking from me to him with wide eyes.

"Ah… ah…" I mumbled, nodding my head slightly. I couldn't believe my eyes. _The _Professor Rowan, standing right in front of me, and I was acting like an idiot. I was finally meeting my idol, and I was standing stock-still, my mouth agape, mumbling like an imbecile. Sometimes, I just can't stand myself.

"Well?" The Professor interrogated. From what I could tell, it looked like he had calmed down, thankfully. Of course, I didn't actually know him, so I couldn't tell if the fact that he had calmed down was good, or dangerous. "You two don't seem to have any Pokemon between you two," He looked at us expectantly, and I finally tore my eyes away from what I deemed as "not a dream" and exchanged a glance with Barry. He hung his head while I solemnly shook my head at the Professor. He suddenly took on an angry expression again. "Then what was the meaning of going into the forest!" I winced inwardly and glanced again at my friend. He looked at me helplessly, and I sighed, exasperated. Whenever Barry and I got into any kind of trouble, it was always up to me to get us out of it. But this time, I was doubting my abilities.

"W-we…" I started, mumbling and hiding my eyes behind my dark, grayish-blue bangs. Rowan raised his eyebrows, as did Barry. Whenever we were in trouble, I usually charmed my way out of it, automatically dragging Barry out of trouble with me. That's why we were such good friends, he could get us _into_ trouble, and, if we were in a bind, I could get us out of it. But maybe not this time. _"We were trying to get to Sandgem Town so we could get Pokemon from you!"_ I blurted, then immediately stared intently at my shoes again. Speaking of which, they were beginning to get muddy from all of the snowy dirt. I shuffled my feet, wanting to get the gooey brown globs off of my pink rain boots. Professor Rowan, however, took this as a sign of guilt, because when I looked up, he had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Tried to go into the forest because they wanted Pokemon…" Rowan seemed to be muttering to himself now; he had his chin cupped in his hands. It was now that I was finally able to breathe, since his attention was not trained on me. I studied him warily, ready to snap back to attention if he looked our way again. He had aged since I had seen him as a child. Sure, I had seen him on tv, but I always thought that the camera added a couple of years to your face. At least, that was what my mother always told me whenever I happened to come by one of her old contests while I was channel surfing on the tv. Rowan's murmuring refocused my attention to the situation at hand. "Hm… What to do…?" I looked at Barry, and he glanced back at me, his eyes clearly asking a silent question. I shrugged, not sure what he was talking about myself. "Their world would surely change if they were to meet Pokemon…" My eyes widened at this, and when my eyes flickered to Barry, his eyes were intently trained on the Professor. "Is it right for me to put them on that path?" The Professor swung his hands down to rest at his sides and stared at us. We shrank back slightly, not sure of what was about to happen.

"You two," We straightened our backs and nodded, "You truly love Pokemon, do you?" There was a moment of silence while my eyes became as big as saucers.

"Yes sir!" Barry and I both half-yelled at the same time. The Professor tweaked his eyebrow skeptically.

"I will ask you once again. Do you truly love Pokemon?" Barry and I shared an exasperated glance, and then turned to face Rowan once again.

"You can ask us a hundred times! We always will love Pokemon, and that will never change! We love Pokemon. Right, Dawn?" He met my eyes, and I nodded vigorously.

"Yeah!" I chimed in, surprised at the strength of my own voice. "We'll always love Pokemon!" The Professor looked back and forth between us, and a slightly worried look came into Barry's eyes.

"A couple of reckless kids who foolishly try to go into the Twinleaf Forest without Pokemon to protect them? It worries me, thinking what people like that would do with Pokemon." Barry froze, if that was possible, because he was already standing as straight as a statue.

"Um…" Barry hesitated, not sure of what to say next. A confusingly determined look crossed his face and he wildly gestured to me. "Then forget about me, but give a Pokemon to Dawn, at least! It wasn't even her idea to go into the forest, she didn't even want to do it!" I blinked and reeled back in shock. That was… surprisingly noble of him.

"How big of you!" The Professor exclaimed. It seemed we were thinking along the same lines. "…Very well. I will entrust you with Pokemon." My eyes widened in shock, and when I looked over at Barry, I thought his were going to pop out of his head. We scrambled over to each other and stood side by side, wanting to share this milestone with each other. "However!" Rowan started, making us flinch. "You must promise to never recklessly endanger yourselves. Ever again." His ominous condition made icy finger trail up my spine. We both nodded our agreement, but I silently wondered if I was going to be able to keep that promise. The Professor began glancing around himself, as if he was searching for something that wasn't there. Suddenly, a dark-haired boy with a hat and scarf came skidding in from the direction of Lake Verity. He was carrying a very professional-looking briefcase and as soon as he reached us, he set it down beside the Professor. Something inside the briefcase rattled, making my curiosity peak.

"Professor! You left the briefcase at the lake-" The boy looked at us, noticing that there were two more people here than expected. "Who are they?" He questioned the Professor.

"These are… er… What are you're names again?" He asked the both of us. A feeling like a great bolt of electricity ran through me. Realization hit.

The Professor didn't remember me.

Of all the times I pictured meeting the Professor, he would always say something along the lines of _"Oh yes, that's right. You're that little girl I met eight years ago. I guess you did grow into a fine young trainer, after all."_ But he didn't remember…

"I'm Barry!" He yelled with much enthusiasm, causing the young boy to jump.

"I-I'm Dawn…" I looked again at my shoes, trying to hold back tears. I looked up again, and this time I focused my gaze on the boy, so that I wouldn't have to look at Professor Rowan.

"Oh. Hello there! I'm Lucas, the Professor's assistant." He stated cheerfully.

"I'm about to give these two their own Pokemon," My depression couldn't hold back a surge of excitement as the Professor said those words, and Barry looked like he was about to pee himself. Lucas, however, looked a bit less than happy. Shocked, yes. Happy? Not really.

"But Professor! Don't you know how valuable these Pokemon are? You're just going to give them away?" He looked hopelessly at Rowan, but the Professor just shook his head.

"These Pokemon would've just gone to some young trainers anyway. Besides, I feel as though these two are special." Suddenly, elation drowned out any sort of morose feeling in my body. So what if the Professor didn't remember me? I'll make him think of me as a great trainer no matter what! Lucas got a thoughtful look on his face and nodded. Professor Rowan picked up the briefcase and set it down on its side, clicking open the locks. Inside lay three of the most perfect looking pokeballs I'd ever seen in my life.

"Dawn, you can choose first." Barry said with a smile, and I nodded and stepped forward. I knelt down beside the suitcase, not knowing what to do, as I had no idea what these Pokemon were. Lucas came to my rescue as he knelt down beside me and pointed to each pokeball in turn.

"Turtwig, the tiny leaf Pokemon. Grass-type." He said, pointing to the first pokeball, then pulled a strange device out of his pocket and flipped it open. He ran his finger over a scroller, then showed it to me. It was a picture of a small green Pokemon with a turtle-like build and two leaves on top of its head. "Chimchar, the chimp Pokemon. Fire-type." He then showed me a picture of a smiling orange monkey with a swirl on its chest and a small flame for a tail. "Piplup, the penguin Pokemon. Water-type." The description came along with an image of a tiny blue penguin with a yellow beak and feet, as well as two white dots below its head. I hesitated, contemplating each one. I had no idea which one I'd choose, seeing as I had never met any of these Pokemon before.

"I think…" I started, thinking hard. I had always liked water Pokemon, and there was something about that Piplup that I just adored. "I think I'll choose Piplup." I said, looking up confidently. I took the pokeball and held it carefully in my grip. It felt so smooth and round, could it really be containing a living Pokemon? Only one way to find out… "Come on out!" I yelled, copying what I had heard trainers say on tv. There was a flash of red light that shaped itself, and suddenly I was standing in front of… A Piplup. _My_ Piplup.

"Pip-pip?" It questioned, looking at me quizzically. My face broke out into a wide grin, and I knelt in front of it. I hesitated, not sure of what to do.

"Ah," I stiffened as the Professors understanding voice commanded my attention. Not much had changed since I was a child, at least. "I see you chose Piplup. She is a wonderful Pokemon, and you're lucky to have each other." Piplup "Pipped!" again as she recognized the Professor's voice. She looked at me again, and when I looked at the Professor, he nodded towards the Piplup as if to say, _go on, introduce yourself._ I gulped and turned my head back to Piplup.

"H-hey there, Piplup. My name's Dawn, and I'm gonna be your new trainer," I told her nervously. What if she didn't accept me? "I-is that alright?" Piplup got a thoughtful look on her face and looked me up and down as my heart beat faster and faster. Suddenly, she "Pipped!" With happiness and hopped into my lap. I hesitated for a second, then wrapped my arms around her and started laughing. I stood up, holding my new Piplup in my arms, and whirled around to face Barry, who was now leaning over the briefcase containing the Turtwig and Chimchar. When I looked closer, he appeared to be doing eenie-meenie-miney-mo, so I walked over to him, letting my Piplup scramble onto my back, and smacked Barry on the back of his head.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?" Barry screamed and glared at me. I glared back, and put my hands on my hips as the little Piplup climbed on top of my hat.

"For choosing a Pokemon in a stupid way," I scolded, "You can't just pick a Pokemon randomly, you have to choose which one you _really_ want." He got a thoughtful look on his face, and finally picked up a pokeball, weighing it in his hands.

"_I choose you!_" He shouted, chucking it as far as he could throw. There was a flash of red light, and a Turtwig appeared in front of him. It made a low, purring sound and leaped into Barry's arms immediately. He looked mildly surprised for a moment, then joy took over and he squeezed it back. "You need a name, don't you?" He asked the Turtwig lovingly. I gasped, realizing I had forgotten to name my Pokemon. I took her off of my head and placed her on the ground, then studied her up and down. "I'll name you… Tyke!" Barry practically yelled, and Tyke looked even more hyper than before, if that was possible.

"What should I name you…" I murmured to myself. She cocked her head at me, and a burst of inspiration struck me as she tripped on a sliver of ice. "I'll call you Glacialis! Glacie for short." I told her. Glacie "Pip-pipped" joyfully and danced around my feet.

"I see you and your Pokemon are getting along well," I turned at Rowan's voice. He was looking at the scene with a small smile on his face, as if Barry's and my communications with our Pokemon pleased him. "You and your Pokemon are very much alike, as you are all unknown to the world. Because of this, you will find incredible friends in each other. If you ever need anything, I will be in my lab in Sandgem Town. Lucas, let's go." Rowan said, causing the poor boy to hurriedly scoop up the briefcase containing the remaining Pokemon, and walked briskly off into the forest.

"Professor! Excuse me," Lucas asked us, as we were blocking his path, "I'm sorry about that. See you soon!" He said, running off after the Professor into the thick woods. I lifted my hand and prepared to call after him to thank him, but Barry shoved into me with a smirk.

"Okay, Dawn, I've always wanted to say this," He started, putting me on my guard, "I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" He yelled at me, and a smile slowly formed itself on my lips.

"You're on!" I shouted back, "Go, Glacie!" I said, pointing in Barry's general direction, and she leaped out and assumed a fighting pose. Tyke sped out and faced her immediately, and Barry's smirk widened to an excited grin.

"Let's go!" He shouted, "Tyke, use tackle attack!" Tyke gathered himself for a split second and launched himself at Glacie, knocking her to the ground. Heaving herself up, Glacie threw Tyke off of her, and socked him in the face, making him skid back a few feet.

"Hey, Pound attack…" I murmured to myself, "Okay, Glacie!" I yelled, catching her attention, "Use Pound again!" This time, Glacie threw her whole body into the attack, not only knocking Tyke back, but flipping him as well, making him land on his stomach. Barry and I winced, imagining how much that might've hurt if Tyke didn't have a shell. "Again! We'll finish this!" I shouted, noticing Tyke struggling to stand.

"Quick! Tyke, use Withdraw!" Barry shouted, and, slightly relieved, the tiny Turtwig withdrew his head and legs into the safety of his hollow shell. Glacie, in mid-attack, went on and hit the shell, but only managed to make it spin away from her, slowing and stopping near the forest. My brows furrowed in frustration when Barry told Tyke to keep using Withdraw, as Glacie couldn't hurt him in there. Suddenly, an idea planted itself in my brain.

"Glacie!" I called, and she turned to look at me, her flippers poised and wired for anything I was about to tell her. "Use Pound against Tyke, except hit him like you're playing soccer! That tree is the goal!" I instructed, pointing to a far-off tree at the border of the forest. She looked confused for a split second, then replaced it with a determined look on her face, running towards Tyke, and I sent my thanks to Arceus, Mespirit, and whatever is holy out there that she knew what soccer was. She hit him at full force, and I was worried for a moment, not knowing if she was strong enough for this, but my fears evaporated as the shell sailed off the ground, crashing into the tree with a sickening thud. It slowly slid to the ground, and Tyke sluggishly revealed himself, barely on his feet, and promptly passed out.

"Tyke!" Barry called, and raced over to his injured Pokemon, calling him back into his pokeball. He then turned to glare at me, but broke into a grin. "Wow, Dawn, that was awesome! I had no idea you could battle like that!" He praised, causing me to shuffle my feet in embarrassment. "Anyways, you may have won this round, but this is far from over! You're my new rival!" He shouted, already speeding of towards Twinleaf Town. I blinked a couple of times at my swiftly disappearing friend-turned-rival. Him, Lucas, the Professor; I didn't get to say goodbye to any of them.

I whirled back to face Glacie, who was running towards me. "Glacie! That was amazing!" I shouted at her as she leaped into my arms, my mood causing her to weigh as light as a feather. I turned to face Twinleaf Town, glancing back at the forest. I'd start my journey tomorrow. I suddenly felt a small tingling sensation on my forehead, and glanced up to see that it was snowing. Glacie and I broke into identical grins. Strange or no, it was beautiful. I faced my new Pokemon once again, holding her close to me. "You know, Glacie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." I said, sauntering off towards home. She "Pipped!" in return, and snuggled close to me as I sighed, my breath billowing out in front of me. My thoughts wandered back to the others. I was sort of glad I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Goodbyes, farewells, they all had a sense of finality to them.

And I had a feeling I would be seeing them again.

* * *

><p><em>Corny ending, I know, but I couldn't help it! Besides, you should get used to it. There are going to be entire ears of corn in this fanfic before it's finished. And I quite like the ending, if I do say so myself. Take pride in your work, and stuff like that. I just like it.<em>

_Sonicboom123456: I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to review, and I'm very glad you liked it. And thank you for the comment about Dawn's character development, because I really try to do that. I mean, c'mon, if characters don't have character, then they're just two-dimensional bits and pieces of brainwaves shoved together with a name taped on! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the rest._

_Pure Gamer: I'm beginning to like you. A lot. But seriously, thank you for your great reviews so far. They make me so glad I decided to do this!_

_Thank you everyone, and if you have the time, please review!_

_I feel like I'm forgetting something… Oh yes! Glacialis means icy in Latin, and Glacie means ice. I thought you ought to know that._

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	4. Chapter 3

_Today is November 1st! You know what that means… The beginning of NaNoWriMo! For more details on NaNoWriMo, please see my profile. It's under the big heading titled Announcement- you can't miss it! Anyways, I hope to be updating everyday from now on. Let's hope that works out! Plus, I got some wonderful reviews, so I want to keep bringing those in, too!_

_Please enjoy._

_Shoutouts to Sonicboom123456 and erebush6h._

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><p><em>~Chapter 3~<em>

My trip back home took a very long time, as Glacie kept on wandering off, due to the fact that many of the things we passed were things she had never seen before. Eventually, she looked so exhausted that I thought she was about to faint right there, so I withdrew her back into her pokeball and continued on my way. I finally reached my house, with its familiar brown wooden paneling and teal green roof. I turned the doorknob and walked to find that nothing much had changed since I left. Strange, since so much had happened to me since then. My mother was still sitting in front of the tv, but from the looks of it, she had cleaned the kitchen while I was gone.

"Mom, I'm home." I called, worn out from my expedition. I was about to set down my white duffel bag on the table by the door as usual, when I remembered that I still had my friend in there. I removed her pokeball from inside the bag and clutched it tightly, hiding it behind my back. I walked gently over to the couch and sat down next to my mother.

My mother was an intriguing person. She didn't have a tangible job, but we did get a steady income, due to all of her contests she participated in as a teenager. She was one of the most known contest contenders in all of Sinnoh, and still remains that way to this day. Occasionally, when her contest reruns aren't airing as much and the cash starts to die down, she'll pack up her Kangaskhan, Nullama, and our Award-Winning pet Glameow, Mimi, and go to Hearthome City to participate in another Supreme Contest, which she would undoubtedly win. Then the contest would air on tv, she would be invited to tons of talk shows, interviews would be printed in the newspaper, etc., etc., and we would be reeling in the big bucks again.

Basically, for my whole life, I had been the daughter of the famous Johanna. The ordinary girl with the extraordinary mom. My mom had tried to hide the expectations people had for me from me my entire life, but bits and pieces leaked through. One time, I overheard my kindergarten teacher talking with the school nurse about how they were disappointed that I hadn't shown any sort of interest in contests so far. Or anything "beautiful," for that matter. After I had heard that, I tried to be more like the girl people expected of me, only wearing dresses, using my mom's makeup when she wasn't around, taking pretend interest in "pretty" things. It continued on for about a year, and by the time I was six, I had actually started to believe my own charade. But then Barry moved here from the Johto Region. He was the same age as me, but we couldn't be more different.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wow, Dawn! Your dress is so pretty!" A random girl in my class called out to me as I skipped into class that morning.<em>

"_Thanks, Kayla!" I called back. I looked down and patted my slightly poofy purple dress. It was one of my favorites at the time, it had a split skirt below a lavender ribbon around my waist, and the darker purple color of the skirt rested on top of a sparkling lavender to match the ribbon. This particular dress drew lots of attention, which constantly reminded me to be girly, because I was going to star in contests one day, and to do that, I had to look like my mother._

_I looked to the open glass doors at the back of the classroom and frowned. Normally at this time, the kids would all be outside, but today, they were outside, yes, but crowded around something, instead of in groups doing different things. I headed outside and squeezed myself into the cluster. In the center was a boy with an orange tee shirt and a green scarf, except that the scarf was tied around his forehead in an attempt to look cool and keep his messy blonde hair out of his eyes. He had a bright smile on his face, though I was confused why, as his whole bottom half -pants, shoes, everything- was completely submerged in…_

_Mud._

_I crinkled my nose in distaste as I looked at the smelly brown substance, and subconsciously took a small step back. The boy looked up at me and grinned, his orangey-amber eyes shining._

"_Hi there! My name's Barry! Who're you? You seem nice! Wanna help me make mud pies?" He practically yelled in my ear. I stared, dumbfounded at him. He was very different from all the other boys in my class. They were annoying and loud, and mean whenever you tried to do something about it, and when you told the teacher, they would just pout in a corner and get all of the other boys to turn against you. But he- Barry, seemed not only friendly, but determined to be friends with me. I hesitated, not sure of what to do in this kind of situation. Suddenly, a cool breeze wafted over me, blowing my hair back and a wave of calm swept over me, and I glared at Barry and stuck my tongue out at him._

"_No, I don't wanna play _mud pies,_ or whatever that is," I started coldly, "And frankly, I think playing in the mud is gross." I sneered while watching his reaction. His face fell, and I felt guilty, but that swiftly turned to confusion as he perked up again._

"_That's okay! I didn't used to like mud pies, either, but then I learned that they were really fun!" He said, using a muddy hand to pull on my dress, trying to get my attention. When I looked down, I noticed that he had left a large muddy stain on my dress._

"_AHHHH!" I was pretty sure that someone could hear me all the way in Snowpoint City. "T-that was m-my favorite dress, you idiot!" I cried, tears glistening in my eyes. He stared at me in utter shock then looked down bashfully._

"_Sorry… That was your favorite dress? T-then I'll fix it!" He said hesitantly, grabbing the hem and rubbing at the stain, making it smear and spread. I forcefully tugged the skirt out of his grasp and gave him my best death glare. He flinched, and again I felt the slightest twinge of guilt, but that faded soon as I looked down to inspect the damage. The rich purple fabric around that area was almost completely concealed under a layer of mud, and it had smeared farther into the dress, making the lavender seem brown and ugly. I was near tears now, and that quickly turned to rage._

"_Why would you think that rubbing _more_ mud into it would help!" I screeched, and he started at me like I had grown three heads._

"_W-well, I think I can still make it better! I mean, all we have to do is wash the mud out, right?" He then spit into his hand and tried to rub the mud out, not noticing that he was only making it even worse than before. I screamed in rage and launched myself at him, a red haze clouding my vision._

_I completely bowled him over, and we rolled around in the mud pit as the other students watched in interest, making side comments to their friends about who they thought would win. Barry was trying to be kind, only pushing me away, but I was fighting with every once of strength my six-year-old body contained. I bit, scratched, and pulled his hair, all the while calling him an idiot and names of the like, but he hardly noticed. I only managed to land a few good blows, seeing as I had never been in a fight before. He finally managed to escape my clutches and ran away, although he was kicking up even more mud due to the fact that it rained the night before, and the entire playground was soaked. So, I did the best thing I could think of. I picked up a giant glob of the brown goo and chucked it with all my might, and watched as it sailed through the air and hit Barry straight in the back of the head._

_He slowly turned around, his now muddy hair shielding his eyes from me so that I couldn't see his expression. My insides froze as he bent down, scooped up a handful of mud, and threw it at me. _

_I "umphed" as the impact landed square in my chest. Fury filled me, and I grabbed two handfuls and lugged them, but he had already gotten another handful and lobbed it in my direction. I ducked and heard a squelch as it landed on someone behind me, and suddenly mud was flying everywhere, but my main target was still the strange blonde boy._

_Eventually I managed to catch up to Barry and lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. I sat up, groaning as I inspected a cut on my elbow._

"_Ow," I heard and looked up to find Barry sitting cross-legged on the ground and rubbing the back of his head. I lifted an eyebrow as he noticed I was still sitting there and not trying to kill him. "Aren't you mad anymore…?" He asked slowly, as if he was scared that if he asked it, I would suddenly realize that I should attack him and start on my relentless chase again._

"_Nah," I said with a small smirk, "You're too fast for me to catch you." Barry looked at my dress and looked like he was trying to hold back laughter. "…What?" I asked warily. I blinked in shock when he burst out laughing._

"_L-look at yourself…" He said, and I surveyed myself. My dress was now completely brown, and was ripped and torn in several places. I felt my hair and realized that it too was caked with mud. I blushed as I realized what a mess I must look like._

"_W-well," I started indignantly, "Look at _yourself!_" He too was covered in mud from head to toe, which only made him laugh harder. I was surprised into an easy smile; one of the easiest I'd had in weeks. That smile quickly grew into a chuckle, which grew into a laugh, and soon we were laughing together, until Barry suddenly cut off, gasping. "W-what?" I questioned warily._

"_Hey! You laughed! I kinda thought that was impossible!" He stated, earning a swift glare from me, as well as a cuff on the back of the head, "Ow! But, anyways, see!" He pointed out, confusing me, "Mud _is _fun!" He started laughing again, and, surprised, I realized that he was right. That _had _been fun. So, I started laughing along with him, with mud from the others still flying all around us. "Hey… I never learned your name. What was it?"_

"…_Dawn."_

"_Well, Dawn, it's nice to meet you!" Grinning, Barry held out a mud-covered hand, his orange eyes shining even though his face was covered in dirt. I hesitated, then, smiling, shook my own dirty hand in his._

"_Nice to meet you, too, Barry."_

* * *

><p>"Dawn?" My mother asked, snapping me out of my flashback.<p>

"Huh? O-oh, yeah. Hi!" I started again as my mom rolled her eyes.

"I asked what you had been doing, Dawn. You never listen!" She jokingly scolded as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head, a habit I had picked up from Barry.

"Sorry, Mom. Oh, and about that…" I sat down next to her on the couch, Glacie's pokeball still held firmly behind my back, "Something kinda big happened to me while I was out." I started, but I didn't get to finish, as my mother got a very confusingly understanding look on her face.

"Ah, I see. So, you and Barry finally got together?" There was a moment of stunned silence from my end as I stared at my mother in shock, my mouth hanging open. My grip on Glacie's pokeball lessened and it fell out of my grasp, and fell to the floor, bouncing a few times before it suddenly came to rest at my feet. We stared at it for a second and finally I turned back to face my mom, my mouth still agape. "Sweetheart? What's that? Is that a pokeball?" She questioned, this time wearing a confused expression. I suddenly snapped out of my trance, shaking my head a few times to clear it. Unfortunately, though, a deep blush slowly crept up my face, not from embarrassment, but from indignation.

"Yeah, yeah, not the point- Why would you think Barry and I would get together?" The very thought was enough to make my head spin. Me? Barry? As if! Even Barry and I had had this conversation when we turned twelve.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey, Barry?" I asked, licking my vanilla ice cream as I took a shady seat beneath a maple tree in the park.<em>

"_Yeeees?" He asked, catching a drip at the last second, his rainbow sherbert running down his fingers._

"_Are we supposed to start dating?" This comment earned a startled coughing fit from Barry. I blinked at him in surprise, not sure if I should laugh or help him. I settled for laughing._

"_W-why –cough, cough- on Earth would you ask that!" He looked at me like I had grown a living shadow. "D-do… Do you _want_ to start dating?" He asked as a furious blush stormed his features. I blushed as well and started shaking my head furiously._

"_N-no! I just heard some teachers talking about when we would 'get together' or something. I just wanted to know what you thought." I stammered, extremely embarrassed._

"_Phew! Good! For a second there, I thought you would actually want to date me!" Barry sighed, relief evident on his face. I sighed in relief, too, the redness draining from my cheeks._

"_So, we'll never date each other, right?" I checked, and Barry nodded._

"_Yep! We're best friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend!" He stated, his nose crinkling as he thought of the latter._

"_Yeah, that would be weird." I said, and we sealed the deal with a pinky promise._

* * *

><p>"Well, you have to admit, Dawn, it's only a matter of time." My mom stated plainly.<p>

"No! No, it's not! That would be _way _too weird! No!" I yelled, my blush reaching to the roots of my hair. My mother sighed, rested her head on her hand.

You know, your father and I were childhood friends," She informed me. I rolled my eyes; I had heard this story about a billion times.

"Yes, yes, I know the drill, but Barry and I just aren't like that." My mom looked skeptical, and let go of the subject, much to my relief.

"Anyways, Dawn, why do you have a pokeball?" My mother asked, puzzled. I picked it up and held it out for her to see.

"This is what I wanted to show you. Barry and I were by the woods," I informed her, carefully skipping over the part when I would've deliberately disobeyed her, "And we ran into Professor Rowan, and he gave us Pokemon!" I said, finally releasing Glacie from her pokeball. She chirped a greeting to my mom, who, dumbfounded, waved back.

"Dawn, you got a Pokemon?" I nodded hesitantly. My mom got a thoughtful look on her face and she looked Glacie up and down. "Well…" I held my breath, "I think that's wonderful."

"Oh Mom! Thank you! I love you so much!" I yelped throwing my arms around her. She straightened in surprise, then hugged me back. She suddenly pushed my back, holding my shoulders and looking me in the eyes.

"Listen, Dawn, this Pokemon,"

"Glacie," I interrupted.

"Glacie, she's your responsibility now. I'm not going to take care if her for you." She warned as I nodded feverishly.

"I know! I'll take care of her, I promise!" I half yelled as I wrapped my arms protectively around my Piplup's torso. She "pipped" in happiness and nuzzled my chin with her head.

"Alright. But I want you to go thank Professor Rowan first thing in the morning." She warned, shaking her finger along with the last five words. Again, I nodded attentively. She smiled, and, excusing myself, I went back upstairs. It was already five o'clock, and I needed to show Glacie what everything was.

Tomorrow worried me slightly. What if the Professor regretted giving me his valuable Pokemon and decided to take the cheerful Piplup back? I didn't know what I would do if that happened. I sighed. That wasn't for now. Now, I should cherish every minute I had with Glacie. All that important stuff could wait until tomorrow.

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><p><em>Ah, tomorrow! Which is exactly when you'll be getting your next chapter! I promise. I hope. Hehe… Oh, and did anyone notice some patterns in the way Dawn interacts with Barry? I planned that! And, no this is not going to be a TwinLeafShipping fic, but I hope this proved to be interesting in the way Dawn met Barry!<em>

_Sonicboom123456: Don't worry, I plan to have Dawn, and all of the characters, for that matter, to be **very **flawed. And thanks for noticing the spelling, I pride myself on that! I pride myself on a lot of things, though…_

_erebush6h: Thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it!_

_All right, I'm beat. Review so that I can answer some people tomorrow! Also, I would like to get more people to read this fic, because I want to know how to make it better, so I was reading a few very successful ones today. And the one consistent factor in all of them? The chapters were all impeccably long. Should I make my chapters longer? But these take me so long..._

_Tell me what you think!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	5. Chapter 4

_Hello there again! Okay, this is my second day of NaNoWriMo, and I already have over ten thousand words! I'm off to a good start. Now, that kids, is why you get a head start._

_To those of you who may have been disappointed about the fact that I put TwinLeafShipping in the previous chapter, or at least what I guess you could call romance, to a certain degree, I only used that as a filler. Besides, I thought it was cute. But that's probably the last you'll see of any Shipping or romance in a while. And also, **no,** I did not mean that pinky promise as foreshadowing to romance between the two later on in the fic. Not at all. I meant it as it was, a promise between two friends to always be **just best friends. **I don't even support TwinLeafShipping, for crying out loud! Nope, I'd give Dawn Lucas and take Riley all for myself! And, no, I'm not saying that there will be romance between Dawn and Lucas, either._

_Ah, I love the feeling of power. Enjoy!_

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><p><em>~Chapter 4~<em>

I hummed to myself as I trotted down the familiar path that led to the woods bordering Sandgem Town. The snow had partially melted since yesterday and now there was only a few white wisps still on the trees and the rest had been shoved off to the side of the road where it lay in dirty gray piles. I noticed that Bob had finally gotten somewhere with his lawn; it was recently mowed, and the stems of the grass hadn't had any time to grow out.

I reached the end of the street and continued on down the coarser path that led to the crossroads of the forest path and Lake Verity. I only hesitated when I saw Barry standing in between the two, looking like he was irritated at something. Tyke was standing beside him, or more like bouncing, looking hyper as ever.

"Hey!" He yelled as soon as he saw me, "You are _so _late!" I blinked in surprise.

"You were waiting for me? Why'd you do that?" I asked, suspiciously looking around myself. It was just like Barry to pull some sort of prank like that. I scanned the area for pies, water balloons, and ninjas, and, deciding the area was safe except for the latter, which I was keeping my eye out for, turned back to Barry.

"Yeah! And it's _freezing!"_ He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and looked at him seriously. It wasn't that cold, and he had long pants on, as well as an orange and white striped jacket with a green scarf sticking out from it. Unlike myself, because I was sticking it out and wearing my overcoat with the same arrangement as yesterday. Why not wear it, when I woke up this morning to find that my mom had washed all of the clothes?

"Oh yeah? How long have you been waiting here?" I raised an eyebrow, and he looked sheepishly at the ground.

"About fifteen minutes…" I sighed and rolled my eyes again.

"Well, then. Let's get a move, on, shall we?" I asked, still on the lookout for ninjas.

"Wait! That was the reason I was waiting! We need to thank Professor Rowan!" I nodded slowly, as if I didn't already know that.

"Obvious much?" I asked sarcastically. He glared at me and continued,

"No! I mean more than just _thanking_ him! I mean, he gave us his extremely valuable Pokemon! We need to _thank_ him!" I raised both of my eyebrows.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"You know the Legendary Pokemon that supposedly lives in Lake Verity?" I furrowed my brows, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Of course I know," We would spend hours by the lakeside, calling for the Legendary Pokemon, but only ever calling it that. We didn't know its name, after all.

"Well," He started, looking like he was about to burst with excitement, "We should catch it for him!" I blinked. "Think about it, Dawn! A Legendary Pokemon for him to study? He would probably be the one thanking _us_, not to mention the fact that we would probably become famous for catching a Legendary Pokemon. Imagine how cool it would be!" He grinned like a maniac, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Fine," I started, "But don't be upset if we don't catch it." I warned, but his expression didn't waver the slightest bit. With a loud "Whoop!", he grabbed my wrist and charged off, him kicking up dirt, me still struggling to untangle my legs long enough to match Barry's whirlwind pace, and Tyke cantering beside us. I sighed, wondering how long Barry was going to be like this.

I finally managed to stop tripping over my own feet and began to run alongside Barry, and we passed the sign that announced our entrance to Lake Verity. We didn't need to read it, as we already had a billion times. _According to legend, this lake is home to the Pokemon said to be "The Being of Emotion." It is because of this that people can experience sorrow and joy._

The lake came into view and we slowed down, taking in the breathtaking sight. Sunlight reflected off of the water, glistening brightly, and I silently released Glacie, wanting her to see this sight as well. She "ohhh"-ed in astonishment as the sunlight highlighted her face. I snapped back into focus, along with Barry, who faced me at the same time. He got a startled look on his face, and I turned around to see a tall blue haired man staring out at the lake as well. But there was something different about the way he looked at it. His expression… it was almost… hunger? He seemed to be whispering something, but I couldn't make out what it was. I only heard the last tiny bit,

"The flowing time… The expanded space…" I stained my ears to pick up more of the one-sided conversation, "My name. Remember it… Until then, sleep while you can…" I shuddered, and I'm sure that if whatever he was talking to heard him, it would have as well. He suddenly noticed us, and sent us a swift glare that chilled my insides. He stalked out of sight, leaving the way we can. Barry let out the sigh of relief that I was feeling.

"What a creepy guy…" Barry stated as I glared at him, silently saying "no duh," when a cry rang out throughout the air.

"Kyauuun!" The sound filled me with so many emotions, emotions that I never thought I possessed. Joy, anguish, so powerful that they almost knocked me off my feet. I gasped and clutched my chest and felt my heart pounding against my rib cage. Barry's eyes grew wide and our Pokemon let out startled cries as the voice faded away. That surprised me. It really had been a voice. An odd one, that I couldn't really understand, but one that seemed to say, _Hello._ I gulped and glanced at my friends, all of them had startled looks on their faces, but none were as deeply disturbed as I felt. Not necessarily disturbed in a bad way, I just felt as if something was… calling out to me.

"Dawn!" Barry suddenly whirled to face me, his face lighting up with excitement. "Did you hear that?" I nodded numbly. Normally I would have stared at him witheringly, and probably responded with a snide comment, but I was just so shaken, I could hardly move. "I bet that was the Legendary Pokemon! Now we can catch-" He suddenly broke off with a loud swear word, causing me to snap out of my trance and smack him. At least I was still me enough to do that…

"Barry!" I scolded, glaring at him.

"Sorry! But we have no pokeballs!" He argued back. I stared at him blankly until he became annoyed with my lack of a response. "You know, P-O-K-E-B-A-" He didn't get to finish before I smacked him again.

"I know that, nimrod! So, what are we going to do about it?" I asked him, my anger quickly fading.

"Well…" He started, getting his thinking face on. Oh, how I dreaded that face… "I got it! We'll just go down to the Professor's Lab and ask him for some! You heard what he said; _If you ever need anything, I'll be in my lab in Sandgem Town._" He mimicked the Professor in a very poor fashion. I rolled my eyes and looked at him with a smirk.

"That is_ not _how the Professor sounded. And, besides, don't you think that would be asking a bit much of him? He already gave us two of his Pokemon!" I argued and picked Glacie up to prove my point. I also just liked holding her, and she pecked my face affectionately.

"Well, then we'll just have to go to the Pokemart and buy some! And that would mean going to Sandgem Town!" He announced ecstatically. I smiled and shrugged, giving in. He whooped and took off in the direction of Sandgem Town, only slowing down the tiniest bit to call over his shoulder, "First one to Sandgem Town rules!" He shouted, and disappeared from sight, Tyke right behind him. Glacie and I exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously. Time to head for Sandgem Town.

I hesitated at the edge of the forest, clutching Glacie in my arms. She chirped enthusiastically and hopped out of my grip, landing perfectly. She faced me, pipped encouragingly, and tugged on the edge of my coat to coax me into the woods. I sighed and walked forward. Another milestone down.

* * *

><p>I walked along the slim path, astounded at how serene the place was. The way the adults in Twinleaf Town went on about it, I thought it would be filled to the brim with giant, vicious Pokemon, just waiting to attack me. But, so far, all I'd seen were a couple of Starly and Bidoof, and every one fled at the sight of me. So, my Piplup and I had a nice conversation as we made our way through the forest. Well, a very one-sided conversation, since I couldn't understand a single word she was saying, but for the most part, I got the basic gist of what she was trying to tell me. We learned different things about each other, for if we were going to be partners, we would have to cooperate with each other, and to do that, we had to at least know what the other's likes and dislikes were.<p>

Eventually we came out to the other end, and I stepped out, squinting, into the fierce sunlight. You could hardly tell that it had snowed in Sandgem town, which was probably due to the sweltering heat. Sweating, I unbuttoned my coat, revealing my outfit from yesterday, but, unwilling to carry it, left it on.

Sandgem Town was much bigger than Twinleaf Town; for starters, it had a Pokemon Center and a Pokemart, which Twinleaf Town unfortunately lacked. It was also greater in population, making it a city in comparison to my hometown. I stared in awe at its sheer size, even though I knew it was one of the smallest towns in Sinnoh.

I had just been wandering around, looking for a map, or a guide, when I ran into a very familiar capped boy.

"Lucas!" I exclaimed, smiling, as he struggled to get his bearings, "Sorry about that, guess I didn't really look where I was going. Are you okay?" I asked, concerned, when I saw that his eyeballs appeared to be spinning in head.

"N-nah, I'm fine! Don't worry, if I let getting run into become a problem, I would never survive as Professor Rowan's assistant!" He stated, rubbing the back of his head. I frowned. I must have been running faster than I thought.

"A-anyways!" He started, clearly trying very hard to recover, and soon enough he regained his balance, fixed his beret, and smiled. "I bet you're here to see the Professor!"

"How'd you know that?" I asked, my eyebrows raised. Lucas laughed.

"You didn't know? That friend of yours stopped by the lab just a few minutes ago, and he told us you were coming. The Professor sent me to retrieve you so that you wouldn't get lost!" He told me cheerfully. I, however, wasn't so happy.

"Retrieve? What am I, a dog?" I asked indignantly, crossing my arms and huffing. Lucas got a worried look on his face and started shaking his head very fast.

"N-no, not like that, I just…" He trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. I rolled my eyes, smirked at his bewildered expression, and sighed.

"It's okay," I said, smiling, "I was kidding!" This kid had a lot to learn. Even Barry would've been able to tell that was an act. He stared at me, dumbfounded until he started chuckling.

"All right, then. I'll show you to the Professor's lab."

* * *

><p>"Why does this always happen to me?" I asked myself miserably. Somehow, I had gotten separated from Lucas about a half an hour ago, and withdrew Glacie into her pokeball to avoid losing her, too. Now I was wandering the semi-busy streets of Sandgem Town, certain I had been through this part of town before. My feet hurt and my back was slumped, and I was pretty sure I had caught poison ivy from my trek through the forest. I sighed deeply and my right ear twitched as it picked up a strange sound. I turned around, hoping it would be Lucas, or Barry, or the Professor, or <em>someone<em> I knew, but it seemed to be coming from a side alley beside a Chinese food place. I hesitated, wondering if I should see what was going on. I shook my head and started for the alley. I had Glacie with me, after all, so I probably wouldn't get hurt. I peered around the corner and blinked, not sure if I should believe my eyes or not.

A girl was standing in the center, which wouldn't have been so unusual if she weren't in a fighting stance and facing four of the largest boys I'd ever seen in my life. If I were in her position, I would have been terrified, but she had a fearsome snarl on her face, and her hands were clenched into very threatening fists. None of them could've been much older than me; in fact, I'd go as far as to bet that the girl was fourteen as well. Her wild orange hair was tied back into a ponytail, and she had on black shorts, a tan tank top, a light blue and tan vest, and some worn black and teal sneakers. She also had an old hat on; one that resembled something you'd see trainers wear on tv shows. I heard a bark, and noticed that there was a Shinx by her side that was growling at the behemoths as well.

The boys wore typical teenage guy clothes, I noticed, except one of them was clutching a bleeding nose, and the other seemed to be favoring his left foot. It seemed as if the girl had been fighting them. I admired her instantly; if that were me in her position, I would probably by crying and begging for mercy. But she was holding strong, and that made me want to help. Just as one of the boys was about to take a swing at her, I jumped out of hiding, yelling loud enough to startle him into flinching and narrowly missing the mystery girl's jaw. She flashed me a grateful but confused glance, and I returned it with a nod. I threw Glacie's pokeball out and she appeared next to the Shinx and "Pip-pipped!" her greeting. The girl must have been good at adapting, because she payed no mind to her newfound allies, and instead called out,

"Naruto! Use Tackle!" Her Shinx, Naruto, immediately launched himself at the boy in the center, presumably the head honcho, and knocked him back. The other minions, Idiot A and Idiot B, I called them in my head, immediately rushed to his side, and one of them knocked Naruto aside with a swat of a meaty hand. Naruto yelped as he was knocked backwards, and the injured idiot, Bloody Nose Idiot, kicked him swiftly in the ribs. _How dare those jerks hurt an innocent Pokemon!_ I snarled, something I hadn't realized I could do, and threw myself at him, using my nails to cut his face. He howled and clutched at his now bleeding cheek, and the girl looked at me, impressed. Idiot A and B had managed to get Head Idiot off the ground and now all four of them were glaring at me with enough force to paralyze a Ghastly. Glacie growled threateningly, and the Idiot Gang stilled for a second. Apparently, that second was long enough for the mystery girl, because she scooped up Naruto and Glacie in one arm, grabbed my wrist, and tool off down the street.

"Thanks!" She said gratefully, not even breaking her pace, as I fumbled along beside her, "Sorry to get you wrapped up in that, they're all idiots!" We shared a smile, and she glanced back, her eyes narrowing. I looked back too, and saw the Idiot Gang following us, keeping up with our pace. "Well, that's bad news. You should probably stick with me for now, those idiots have connections, and even though they don't know you, that won't stop them from trying to get their revenge." I gulped as she let go of my wrist and passed me my Piplup, who looked at me solemnly. "Just try and keep up with the pace!" Mystery girl called as she sped up, smiling once again. I sensed a challenged and grinned as well, accelerating until the girl and I were neck and neck.

Well, it looked like I had made myself a new friend. And some enemies, but whatever.

* * *

><p><em>Who is this strange new mystery girl? Will she play an important role in the story? <strong>SPOILER<strong>- Yes! I'm not going to bother trying to keep it from you, because you're going to find out in the next chapter anyways. I liked giving Dawn some backbone, it was fun!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I'm just borrowing the name. Speaking of which, I named him after the star on a Shinx's tail. C'mon, it looks like a ninja star! And, yeah, I added the thing about Dawn being wary of ninjas just for humor. I'm in a ninja-y mood._

_Please review! It is my lifeblood!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_

_P.S. I am a HUGE fan of Studio Ghibli, and I recently found out that they're coming out with a new film called Arrietty. I've already watched the trailer about a dozen times, and I can't wait! February!_


	6. Chapter 5

_Okay, before I start this chapter, I'd like to have a word with you all. What is this word? Reviews. I have six, and I've been told by the counter-thingy that there has been over one hundred people visit this fanfic. I'm kind of upset. I don't need tidal waves of reviews to survive, but one or two might be nice. It makes me wonder if some people are reading because they actually liked this fic, or just because they want to see what dumb ideas I come up with next… But I did get a wonderful review this morning and decided to finish this chapter, which is extra-long._

_Enjoy, I hope…_

_Shoutout to Pure Gamer!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 5~<em>

Mystery Girl and I ran clear across Sandgem Town, and finally stopped when we reached a park, certain that we'd lost the Idiot Gang. The girl leaned against a tree, panting and bending over, then suddenly straightened, reaching into her bag, a beige and green one strapped piece I hadn't noticed before. She pulled out a pokeball, and, gently cradling Naruto, tapped him lightly on the head with the pokeball, and in a flash of red light, he disappeared.

"It's okay, buddy. You'll only have to stay in there until we can get you to a Pokemon Center and get you fixed up." She murmured softly to the pokeball, then her face contorted into and extremely frightening expression of rage, and swiftly punched the tree. It would have seemed very fearsome, if a visible ripple hadn't passed through her being doubling her over in pain, clutching her now twitching hand. She muttered an explicative and I looked at her in concern. I could understand how she felt, though. Those dumb arses had hurt her innocent Pokemon and friend, and for what, I don't even know. I let Glacie jump from my arms and she waddled over to inspect the mystery girl, tapping her on the leg and chirping in concern. Mystery Girl sighed and smiled, letting her now bruising hand fall to her side. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine," She turned to face me, and I found myself standing up straighter. Something about this girl was noble, and that made me greatly respect her, "Thanks for your help back there. That could've quickly turned into a tough situation for us." I was confused until I realized that 'us' meant her and her Shinx.

"Oh! That was no problem, really!" I told her, embarrassed, pushing a lock of dark blue hair behind my ear. "I'm Dawn," I told her, holding out my hand. She smiled, and shook it.

"Falon McCraley." My eyebrows rose at this.

"Falon is an-" I was cut off as she waved my surprised comment aside.

"Yeah, yeah, I know Falon is a weird name, but it's the one I've had my whole life," She said with a shrug, placing her pokeball inside her bag. "Besides, Dawn isn't a name you hear every day," She said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess not."

"So, Dawn, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you help me out with those boys? Most people would've walked right past." She said with a hint of sadness. I understood; it wasn't like the alley was hidden, it was in plain sight for all who were passing to see it.

"Well… I don't know, I just can't stand those type of people who will gang up on an innocent person like that!" I exclaimed angrily, my voice rising to a shout and attracting glares from the other people in the park. I looked back at Falon and saw that she was looking in another direction, her cheeks turning an embarrassed shade of pink.

"About that… Y'see, it kinda _was _my fault, just a little bit," She said, forcefully grinning as stared at her, bewildered. "Well, those idiots and I have been idiots ever since we were kids, but I'm _pretty_ sure that they started it…" I nodded my head, feeling slightly numb, and blinked when Falon burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," She began when she saw my dumbfounded expression, "But when you think about it," She paused to breathe, "It's just," Another gasp, "So," I was beginning to get worried, "Funny!" She exclaimed, bursting into another fit of laughter. I have no idea why, but when I looked at it that way, it was pretty funny. I startled chuckling as well, and that quickly escalated into laughter, and then I was guffawing alongside her.

When we calmed down, we sat down and leaned against the tree, catching our breath.

"You're pretty fast," She complimented, making me grin, "I've never known anyone who can keep up with me for so long. Where'd you learn how to run?"

"The track team at school."

"You go to school here?" She questioned, puzzled. I shook my head and picked a stray leaf off of my hat.

"No, I'm from Twinleaf Town. I'm coming here to see Professor Rowan." Her eyebrows rose and I quickly explained my situation to her. After I was finished, she nodded in understanding and examined Glacie with interest.

"I see. I thought that Piplup was a rare species of Pokemon…" She said absentmindedly, "So, you're looking for Professor Rowan's lab?" I nodded and sighed, "Well, my friend, you're in luck! I happen to be a close friend of the Professor's!" My eyes widened in shock, and I gaped at her until she explained that she had caught Naruto six months ago with an old Pokeball she found and, not knowing how to raise a Pokemon, went to Professor Rowan for help. Well, not only did he teach her the basics of raising a healthy Pokemon, but he also gave her a trainer's license, and when I heard that, I gasped.

"Oh no! I forgot to get a permission slip signed by the Professor saying that I could keep Glacie! Glacie!" I yelled, startling my tiny Piplup, "You're illegal!" A look of confusion crossed her face; illegal was clearly a word she'd never heard before. I looked around, panicking, and withdrew Glacie without a word. I turned to Falon desperately. "You've got to help me get to Professor Rowan's!" I half-shouted, until Falon placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me like a mother would her childish daughter.

"Dawn," I gulped, "Calm down. It'll be fine; the lab isn't five minutes from here," She reassured me, letting go of my shoulders and patting me on the back with a grin. I sighed in relief and rubbed the back of my head, grinning as well.

"All right," I agreed, and we headed off towards Rowan's lab.

* * *

><p>We finally reached Rowan's Lab five minutes later, as Falon predicted. The entire walk over, I had kept glancing over my shoulder and stiffening at the sound of every police siren, half expecting one of them to turn the corner and pull up aside me so that I could be arrested. Falon had tried to console me, but I was too caught up in my little mind drama to pay any heed to what she said. By the time we were standing in front of the white building, I was so paranoid that I ran straight for the doors, not expecting them to open just as I was about to barge in. An orange-clad figure ran out, and before I could back up or sidestep, it-<p>

_**THUD!**_

"_Ow!"_ I screamed as both the offending force and I fell to the ground. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on the pain in my bottom, which I had landed painfully on. A groan from the offending force made me squint, and I immediately recognized the being, who was slumped over on its- _his_ face. My eyes widened and then narrowed in irritation.

"Barry! What do you think you're doing, just barging out of there like that!" I scolded him, and Falon raised an eyebrow at me, silently stating that I was being hypocritical, as barging in was just what I was about to do. I warned her with a pointed look informing her that if Barry found that out, he would never let me hear the end of it. Falon shrugged and turned her attention to Barry, whose groans were getting louder. Suddenly, he shot up, startling the both of us into jumping up. He immediately stood up, only to wobble some and lean against the side of the lab for support. His eyes eventually stopped spinning, and he glared at me.

"What was that for!" He shouted, and I winced. Looked like he had noticed that I was charging in as well. He shook his head, and when he looked back up, his eyes were shining. "Anyways, that old guy isn't so bad. Not nearly as scary as I thought he'd be!" His eyes wandered over to where Falon was standing, and he waved a bit with a large grin. "Hey, there! Nice to meet you, I'm Barry! Who're you?" He asked eagerly.

"F-Falon…" She stammered, clearly surprised at Barry's questionable human interaction skills.

"Falon, huh? Weird…" He muttered, not noticing Falon's glare. "Anyways! Sorry Dawn, but I gotta go!" He started to skip off, but noticed my look of confusion at his rushed state. "Just go inside and talk the Professor; you'll find out. Later!" He said with a knowing smile and raced off towards the forest and Twinleaf Town. I exchanged a confused and exasperated glance with Falon, who was still looking mildly shocked from her first encounter with Barry. Yeah, I knew what that was l like… She cleared her throat and pushed open one of the doors to the lab.

"Shall we?" She asked me, imitating a fancy butler or something of the sort.

"We shall." I added in an equally snooty tone, and walked through the door, Falon close behind. It was what you would expect of a lab, plenty of computers, test tubes, and other things that you really couldn't make sense of if you had just walked in the door. I noticed that Lucas wasn't the only assistant who worked for Professor Rowan, there were also many adults crowding around computer screens and tables with a bunch of dangerous-looking chemicals on them. Looking around, I finally noticed Professor Rowan, standing in the back with a dejected Lucas. Falon and I trotted down to them, and when we were finally standing right in front of them, Professor Rowan glanced up from his clipboard, surprise evident in his eyes.

"Dawn! You've finally arrived. I thought Lucas lost you…" Lucas jerked his head up and grinned at me.

"I knew you'd get here eventually! Sorry about that, one second you were beside me, and the next, you were just, gone." He stated apologetically. I smiled at him reassuringly and shook my head.

"That's alright. I was fine, thanks to Falon." I told him, gesturing to my wild-haired friend. She looked at Lucas and recognition flared in her eyes.

"Hey! I know you!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger at Lucas, who looked at her, surprised. "You were here when I came here six months ago!" Suddenly, comprehension dawned in Lucas's eyes, and he nodded.

"Yeah, that's right! How's that Shinx of yours, by the way?" Falon hesitated and grimaced, and pulled out her pokeball.

"Not so good; he got hurt pretty bad recently." She explained, and released Naruto from his pokeball. At first Naruto appeared fine, standing straight and tall, but soon he let out a whimper and crumpled to the ground. Falon let out a cry and knelt down, gently scooping Naruto up from the polished linoleum floors. "Can you help him?" She wailed desperately at Professor Rowan, who looked at the injured Shinx, and nodded. Falon and I both let out a sigh of relief.

"Let's take him over here," The Professor gestured with his hand to an odd machine with a glass cover. It, ironically enough, was the perfect size for a Pokemon like Naruto. Clicking a few buttons, Rowan made the glass slide back, and Falon carefully placed her Shinx inside the machine. The glass slid back over the top, and the Professor pressed some more buttons and stepped back. Suddenly three lights came on the tiny screen above the press pad, in red, yellow, and green. The red blinked off almost immediately, and the yellow light began blinking. "As soon as the light turns green, we can take him out." I watched in amazement as the blue Pokemon visibly relaxed. "Now, we can get down to business." He gestured to some chairs that were near the healing machine, and Lucas, Falon, and I took a seat, while the Professor remained standing. "Dawn, have you heard of a device called the Pokedex?" He held up a pink and black item, and I immediately recognized it as the thing Lucas used to show me all of the Pokemon in the briefcase. I nodded hesitantly, recalling the name from various Pokemon trainer shows. "Good. It is a device that stores knowledge of all the Pokemon in the world," My eyes widened at this. I hadn't been aware of that. "However, the Pokedex for the Sinnoh region has yet to be completed. Dawn, I would like you to travel throughout the Sinnoh region and complete this collection for me." My eyes widened even more at his request. He wanted to give such and important job to me? Why? "I'm sure you must be wondering why I would choose you to carry out this special task." Jeez, can that guy read minds or something? "It is because I sensed something within you when we first met. Something in the way you handled yourself; something in the way you acted. And, more importantly, the way you handled yourself around your Pokemon. Please call her out, if you would." I nodded, as if in a trance, and silently released Glacie. She turned around for a second before recognizing her surroundings.

"Piplup-pip!" She called to the Professor, who smiled back warmly. Glacie looked at me once and hopped up into my lap. Almost instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her, as I had so much so far. Rowan smiled when he saw this.

"See? You have already created a very strong bond with your Pokemon in this short time. Which is why I would like _you_ to help me carry out this research." I stared wordlessly at my Pokemon's head. Me? Travel throughout Sinnoh? But… My thoughts drifted back to my mother, and all the friends I had back in Twinleaf Town. Odds were I'd be gone for a very long time… "So?" I looked back up at the Professor. My idol. He was asking me to do something to benefit the world. I could hardly say no.

"Yes." I said, my voice unwavering. The professor held out the Pokedex. When my eyes flickered to Falon; she was looking at me in a mixture of pride and… was that jealousy?

"Falon." The Professor started, taking her by surprise. "I would like to reward you for your splendid work in taking care of your Pokemon." She started to shake her head, her eyes cast darkly on the machine containing her injured Pokemon.

"No, if I took good care of Naruto, he wouldn't have gotten hurt." She said, her voice almost a whisper and her eyes cast downward. She looked up when I nudged her and looked pointedly at the Professor. She glanced up to see the Professor nodding in approval.

"And that is where you're wrong. I can tell your Pokemon loves you, if he didn't, he wouldn't have gotten hurt for you in the first place." He looked to me to help convince her, and I hastily nodded.

"That's right, if he didn't love you and you didn't love him, he wouldn't have tackled the Head Idiot for you." I pointed out. Everyone looked confused when I said Head Idiot, except for Falon, who smiled.

"Which is why," Rowan started, recovering quickly, "I would like you to take this." He said, and handed Falon a PokeDex, this one yellow and black. She stared at it, until she hesitantly took it from his hands, as if she wasn't sure if he was actually giving it to her.

Suddenly, the machine beeped, and the light turned green. Falon rushed over to it, and pressed a button at random on the keypad, then watched in amazement as the glass slid open once again. Shaking off her good luck, she picked Naruto up carefully. The small blue dog-like Pokemon stirred, then sat up, good as new, and licked Falon's cheek cheerfully. For a second Falon looked like she was going to cry, then she buried her face in her Pokemon's fur and squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug. I walked over to her and petted Naruto's head. Remembering me from the battle, Naruto barked happily as Falon raised her head and grinned. We turned around to find Professor Rowan heading up some stairs.

"Wait! Thank you!" I called up the staircase, not wanting to follow him into his private home. Instead I turned to Lucas. "Tell him thank you, and that I'll be back here tomorrow morning to start my journey." Lucas nodded and headed for he stairs as well, only turning around briefly.

"Y'know," He started, "I'm really glad you two like Pokemon. It would be awful if you didn't…" And with those parting words, he walked up the stairs as well.

I didn't get to say goodbye that time, either…

* * *

><p>"Well, that was eventful!" I stated cheerfully as Falon and I walked down the busy streets of Sandgem Town. With our Pokemon walking beside us, conversing in their language, everything seemed perfect. Yet, Falon seemed subdued for some reason.<p>

"Hey, Dawn?" Falon asked quietly. Noticing something was wrong, I stopped and turned to her.

"What is it?" I asked, my brows furrowed in concern.

"You're going on a Pokemon Journey tomorrow, right?"

"That's the plan!"

"Well… I was just wondering… would it be alright if I…" She cut herself off, seemingly unwilling to continue.

"If you what?" I questioned, puzzled.

"Would you mind if I… sort of tagged along with you?" I blinked. Suddenly, I grinned, startling Falon.

"Of course! That would be awesome! Forget completing the PokeDex, we could rule the world!" Falon's mouth slowly curved into a smile as wide as mine and she tackled me in a flying hug.

"Oh _thank-you-thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!" _She cried out the thanks in one word. She stepped back, relief evident in her eyes. "I was so worried you wouldn't want me coming along…" I punched her lightly in the arm and glared at her.

"Why would you think I wouldn't want you coming along?" I chided. She shrugged and smiled, her expression quickly turning carefree. Naruto barked happily at our feet, and Glacie did a little dance around our feet. We laughed, and the scene was picturesque.

"Wait, what about your family?" I asked her. Her smile suddenly became dimmed, as if a cloud had passed over her mood.

"…Don't worry. I don't have a family." I gave her a puzzled look, and she explained. "I live in a children's home." I gasped in horror.

"Oh Falon I'm so sorry!" I told her, and she smiled at me reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it, the place is actually pretty nice." She told me, but I didn't buy it. Part of me wanted to see her place and the other didn't, and something told me she didn't want to go back either.

"Falon, do you want to spend the night at my house? That way, we can get a head start in the morning and set off immediately." She looked at me incredulously, and then a smile broke out on her face.

"Really, Dawn?" I nodded, and she nodded back eagerly. "All right! I just have to stop by the home and get my stuff… Wanna come?" I shrugged and nodded. "All right! Let's go!" She shouted, pointing into the distance, and grabbing my arm and tugging me along in the opposite direction of where she pointed. Our Pokemon let out animalistic laughs and trotted after us. I smiled. This was going to be a fun journey.

* * *

><p>"And, welcome to the Sandgem Children's Home!" Falon announced with a swoop of her hand to reveal a larger-than-normal white paneled house. I frowned. It didn't look that bad, not at all like the rusty old brownstone buildings you see in the movies. We walked inside to find a main room with a bunch of little kids running around in it. One of them threw a ball that narrowly missed Glacie's head, and she jumped back in fright, but Falon and Naruto payed them no mind. I withdrew Glacie as to avoid any accidents, and Falon withdrew Naruto just as the kids noticed us. I threw her a questioning look, and she looked pointedly at the kids, and I understood. Kids usually tended to be very hyper around Pokemon, and if a small Pokemon, such as a Shinx, or Piplup, is stormed by a group of children, it might prove to be dangerous for them. The children looked at us for a second, then went back to their playing, dutifully ignoring us. Slightly insulted, I turned to Falon, silently asking why they would just ignore us, but was surprised when I saw her smiling.<p>

"I've trained them well…" She commented, seemingly to herself. I blinked and raised my eyebrows. When she saw me, she got a sheepish grin on her face and shrugged, "Do you know how hard it is to get some privacy in a place like this? Being ignored is like a gift." When she laughed, I, not sure of what to do, chuckled nervously.

We made our way through the large house, passing countless bedrooms and bathrooms. Finally, we came to a kitchen. A pretty standard one, too. There was a microwave, a fridge, a sink, etc., except the only think I wasn't necessarily expecting was a woman in her forties slouching at the kitchen table, smoking a cigarette. When I glanced at Falon, I blinked a couple of times in shock. Her entire demeanor had changed. She now wore a blank, unemotional look, her eyes were dull, and even her posture screamed _"I don't care."_ The woman looked up from the magazine she was reading, hardly spared either of us a glance, and turned back to her magazine.

"Stefanie's upstairs." She stated, not bothering to look up from the magazine. Falon turned away without a backward glance and walked back down the hallway. I watched silently as her features relaxed and swiftly caught up to her.

"What was that about?" I asked her. Looking at me, she sullenly replied,

"Miranda. She's the head nurse here, and can't stand me, due to a little 'incident' that happened when I was eight."

"Oh." I frowned. Maybe this place was like the movies, with awful nurses, that neglected the children. But… the other kids in the home seemed pretty satisfied. "Who's Stefanie?" I questioned, quick to change the subject.

"The only good nurse in this place." My brows furrowed in confusion as I followed Falon up a staircase. We walked down a plain hallway and finally stopped at a brown, wooden door, no different that all the others. Falon knocked twice and turned the knob, pushing the door open. Inside was a pretty brunette woman holding a tiny baby. The infant squirmed a bit as the door creaked, but then settled back down and began to suck his thumb.

"Still haven't learned how to knock?" The woman asked with a raised eyebrow. Falon shrugged and peered over the baby. "Stop it," The woman chided, gently flicked Falon on the nose. I would have expected Falon to be at least irritated at that, but instead she just smiled and poked the woman in the arm several times, making them both laugh. The woman finally realized that I was in the room too and faced me. She was pretty, with a pink bandana and curly brown hair, and she was younger than I expected. I'd guess… thirty? Although her eyes seemed tired, she smiled at me warmly and I couldn't help but think what a great mother that woman would make. "Oh? Are you a friend of Falon's?" I nodded and smiled as well, Falon coming over to complete the circle. "Well, it's nice to meet you, whatever-your-name-is."

"Oh! It's Dawn, ma'am." She smiled again, and I got the motherly feeling again. "Who's the baby?"

"Him? Oh, that's Ralphy, and he's or newest member here at The Home."

"Stefanie?" Falon began, and the woman, Stefanie, nodded. "I'm going on a Pokemon Journey with Dawn." Stefanie blinked a couple of times, and I was afraid for a second that she wouldn't let my new friend go. Then she grinned, and my worry vanished.

"Falon, that's wonderful!" She shouted, wrapping her arms around the redhead. Suddenly, she pulled back, gasping. "You need to pack!"

After Falon was all ready and packed, Stefanie and the girl shared a tearful farewell. At least, Stefanie was crying, but Falon couldn't have looked more overjoyed.

"Don't forget to eat well." Stefanie repeated for the _billionth_ time.

"Don't worry." Falon replied for the _billionth_ time.

"And remember-" Stefanie was cut off as a wailing cry came from another room. The door was open, and the walls were painted a blue and yellow swirl. It looked like a nursery. "Oh, no. Ralphy's upset again… Well, Falon. I hope you have a great time." She turned to me, "And make sure to take care of her." She said sternly, and I nodded vigorously. "Well," She sniffed, and Falon smiled, "I guess this is goodbye," She took us by surprise by throwing her arms around Falon, who, after a moment of hesitation, hugged her back.

"I'll miss you…" Falon whispered.

"Oh, no you won't." Stefanie said jokingly. "You'll be too busy going off on an adventure! Besides, it's not like you'll be gone forever; you _will_ stop by to visit, got it? Whenever you're in town!" Falon nodded, and Stefanie grinned, slapping her on the back. "Well, off you go!" She shouted, making the wailing rise in volume and Falon stumble forward. "I've got to check on the little one," She lightly pecked Falon on the cheek, nodded at me, smiled, and walked into the nursery, Falon looking sadly after her. She turned back to me, and her eyes were bright.

"Let's go." I nodded.

* * *

><p>The walk back through the home was… awkward. We didn't run into anyone, until Falon decided to abruptly turn into the kitchen, where Miranda was, reading a book this time.<p>

"Miranda," She said, and the woman looked up, confusion in her gaze. My guess would be that these two never talked, so Falon directly addressing her would be surprising, "I figured you ought to know that I'm going on a Pokemon adventure with my friend here." She stated bluntly, making the older woman blink. I noticed that Falon had taken her shields down, as she seemed to be acting like normal.

"Well…" Miranda started, not knowing what to say, "I guess… that's great? Have fun." This time, Falon was the one to blink. Suddenly, her eyes started shining, and she nodded.

"Thanks." She flashed a smile and turned on her heel, exiting the room. We walked back through the entrance. As we passed more and more kids, I noticed that they were staring at us and whispering to one another. Finally, we reached the main room, and I, unnerved, practically lunged at the door, wanting to get out of there.

"…Falon?" We turned around, and I was expecting their eyes to start glowing red, but it was just a little boy looking at us curiously. "Are you really leaving?"

"Little gossips…" Falon murmured out of the corner of her mouth. She put on a cheery face, "Yep, that's right!" Her smile faded, and was replaced by a serious look. "That means I won't be living here anymore. I'm going to be traveling through Sinnoh with my friend here," With each word she said, the kids' eyes got wider and wider. One little girl stepped up to stand in front of us and looked bravely at us.

"Will you come back to visit us?" Falon grinned again.

"'Course I will! And I'll be big and strong and my Pokemon will be too so you can play with them then." All of the kids got really excited at this and started crowding around us. Most of them were calling out random things, but the most common phrase was said at least once by all of the kids.

"We'll miss you!"

* * *

><p>"So, what's your mom like?" Falon asked curiously as we were entering the forest.<p>

"Well… She's very unique."

"Hm? How so?"

"You'll get it when you see her." I sighed. No doubt Falon would recognize Johanna from all of her tv contests. And no doubt I would be answering plenty of questions about her career, as everybody asks that. We walked through the forest in silence, but a comfortable one. I was deep in thought about what I would need to pack (toothbrush, clothes, snacks, a sleeping bag, etc.), whilst Falon was sauntering next to me, a blissful look on her face. I guess she was still happy at the fact that the people at the Home actually wanted her to come back. I was happy for her.

By the time we reached Twinleaf Town, the sun was setting. I was surprised; had it really been so long? I took my Pokedex out of my bag and looked at the time. Seven thirty? That didn't make sense… Nudging Falon to show her that we had arrived, I walked briskly down my street, my friend right behind me, and stopped in front of my house. I rummaged inside the mailbox, and my hand found the small item I was looking for. I pulled out the spare house key in triumph. Walking up to the door, I slid the key into the lock then frowned, realizing that the door was already unlocked. Turning around, I tossed the key to Falon, who was just catching up, and standing next to the mailbox.

"Can you put this in there?" I called from the fifteen or so feet away. She nodded and opened the mailbox, slipping the key inside. "Apparently my mom already unlocked the door."

"Dawn, is it okay with your mom that I stay the night?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," I started, giving her a reassuring smile, "First of all, my mom won't mind at all; she never does. Second, she would never send you back, because it's dark now," I explained, gesturing to the shadows that were swiftly forming on the ground, "And third, she'd love to have company and meet the person I'm going to be traveling with," And with that, I turned the doorknob and entered the living room. I set my bag down on the table and took Glacie's pokeball from it, releasing the small penguin. She looked around, confused at the change in setting, and ran over to the entrance to the kitchen, where a heavenly scent was wafting from. Falon did the same and released Naruto, who, after a moments hesitation, joined Glacie in the kitchen. I led the way into the polished room, where my mom was staring at the new Shinx in surprise. She noticed us, and smiled at us.

"Hello, Dawn. Is this your Shinx? And what's your name?" She said, turning to Falon.

"Hey, Mom! No, it's Falon's," For emphasis, I gestured to the redhead by my side, "She's going to be traveling with me!"

"Traveling?" I gulped and paled. I had completely forgotten that my mom knew nothing about what had happened earlier.

"Y-yeah, Professor Rowan asked me to complete the Pokedex and travel throughout Sinnoh…" Wanting to have proof to back me up, I quickly ran and collected my Pokedex from my bag. When I returned to the kitchen, I saw that Falon and Johanna were sitting across from each other at our small table, and they appeared to be having a nice chat.

"So, that's your Shinx?"

"Yes, ma'am, his name is Naruto."

"Oh, please, call me Johanna."

"Y-yes, Johanna," My friend said awkwardly, making me laugh. They turned to face me, and I held up my Pokedex.

"The Professor gave this to me." She nodded, and all of a sudden I realized something and smacked myself on the head. "Shoot!" I cried, slumping down on a third chair, Falon and Johanna looking at me in bewilderment. "I forgot to get a permission slip from the Professor!" I let my head fall forward, hitting the table painfully. I looked up when I heard laughing, and glared at my mother, who had a grin on her face and my Pokedex in her hands, "What's so funny?" I groaned.

"Well, you probably should've looked at your Pokedex first." I sat up and swiftly snatched the gismo from my mother's hands and opened it. I stared blankly at the screen, which was blank as well.

"It's just like when I was a kid," My mother said, and pressed a button on the control panel, making a white screen popup as well as some writing. I took it from her hands again and frowned at the page.

_This Pokedex, #27489, is registered to Dawn Hikari, and serves as a substitute trainer's license until said trainer can obtain an official trainers license._

At the bottom of the note was a screened in signature by Professor Rowan. I blinked and let my head fall to the table once again, while Falon and Johanna chuckled.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Falon and I went upstairs to my room where we set up an air mattress to sleep on. After all of the arrangements were made, such as setting the alarm clock to seven a.m., (To which Falon responded, <em>"That early!"<em>), packing my things, and making sure our Pokemon were fed and full, we entertained ourselves. Falon went about my room, asking what this was, like my Voltorb paperweight, or asking where things were from, and the like.

"You play?" I looked up from my PC, which had a page on the internet that said _Packing for Your Pokemon Journey 101,_ and saw that Falon was gesturing to my violin that was placed next to my bookcase. I smiled.

"Yeah," It had been a hobby of mine ever since I was eight, and I still played it quite often, "Actually, thanks for reminding me," I said, walking over to the case and bringing the lightweight instrument over to my pile of stuff I was taking with me.

"You're taking it?"

"Yep," When I saw Falon's questioning gaze, I responded, "You never know when you'll get really bored and want background music," I explained, making my friend grin.

"Yeah-" Falon was cut off as my mom walked into my room.

"Time for bed, girls," She said, managing to be both gentle and stern at the same time. Naruto and Glacie ran up to her, calling their names happily. They had really taken I liking to her, "You're getting up early," She bent down to pet the Pokemon, who were nuzzling her legs. Our Glameow, Mimi, stalked up the stairs, and, with one glance at two strange Pokemon absorbing my mother's affections, threw herself into the fray, managing to leap up into Johanna's arms as Naruto and Glacie glared up at her.

"Right," I confirmed, laughter in my voice. Johanna smiled and nodded, heading down the stairs with a purring Mimi in her arms, turning the lights off as she left. Falon and I climbed into our beds and our Pokemon joined us, Glacie snuggling up next to me under the covers, and Naruto curling up in a ball on top of Falon's bedding next to her feet.

"…Dawn?" Falon said, her voice cutting through the silence of the dark.

"Hm?" I responded, making my Piplup stir.

"Is your mom _the_ Johanna Hikari?" I nodded, but then realized that Falon couldn't see me.

"Yep." I responded.

"Cool."

"Not always. Lots of people recognize her, and somehow that always leads to a conversation about me, and if I plan to be in contests." Silence from Falon, though I assumed it was a thinking silence. I really hoped it wasn't that she had fallen asleep.

"I get it. People have expectations of you that you can't uphold, or just don't want to. I know what that's like. Everyone thinks that because I'm in a children's home, I have to be sweet and helpless and pitiful, and leap at every chance to be adopted." I snorted. Falon? Sweet? Helpless? Pitiful? But that made me think.

"Falon, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your parents?" I asked gently.

"I had a feeling you were going to ask that. Well, they didn't die, if that's what you think. My mom willingly gave me to the children's home." I searched her voice for any trace of bitterness in it, but couldn't find any. "They told me she was sixteen." Wow. "So I guess I can understand why she would give me up. Miranda told me what my mom said when she gave me to them. Apparently my mom gave me up because she felt that she couldn't raise a child; that she wasn't responsible enough. So… yeah. And, no, I don't hate her for what she did. When people find out that she gave me up, it's like they automatically expect me to hate her. But I don't." I was really impressed with Falon at the reasonable way she was looking at things. "Because, when I think about it, I realize that if she had kept me, I would be a completely different person. And that scares me. Besides, she could've done a lot of worse things. First of all, she could've decided to not have me at all. But, the nurses told me that my mom promised to come back for me."

"Wow," I breathed, impressed at both Falon and her mom now.

"Yeah, but I overheard the nurses talking one day. Apparently my mom died in a car crash."

"…I'm sorry," I whispered, not sure of what else to say.

"It's alright. That's why I've never been adopted. I told every person that came in my story, and told them that my mom gave me my life, so I should at least respect her memory and never belong to anyone. But don't be sad! My childhood was great. Miranda hating my guts is more of a recent thing, so I was well cared for my whole life… I hope you don't mind me asking, but since we're on the topic, what happened to your dad?" I lay there for a second, processing all the information that was just given to me, before I realized that I had been asked a question. Memories swirled around in my head, some hazy, as if covered in fog, and some as clear as glass.

"Dad… died when I was seven." I said. "He got sick and died of a stroke. He wasn't even that old…" I trailed off, lost in my past.

* * *

><p>"<em>Daddy!" I cried joyfully as I looked out at the vast ocean. My mommy had told me that we were moving to a place called Twinleaf Town, and I was spending my fifth birthday on a boat. "Look! Those are some big fish!" My father laughed and picked me up, resting me on his shoulders so that I could see past the ship's railing.<em>

"_Those are called Wailord, sweetheart. They're whale Pokemon, not fish. And those little ones are Wailmer, which are the unevolved form of Wailord." He said as I grasped his dark brown hair for balance, most of his information going through one ear and exiting through the other._

"_Wailord…" I murmured, "Hey, Daddy! I'm gonna catch one of those one day!" I exclaimed, tilting my head so that my long blue-gray hair fell in front of his face, a large grin on my lips._

"_Of course you are, sweetheart. You're going to be the best Pokemon trainer of them all." He said, blowing my hair back up, making me giggle when it fell back in his face._

* * *

><p>The memory faded out, covered in fog. I had so few memories of my dad, it seemed that whenever I relived one, the fog crept closer and closer, obscuring the precious moments I had with him.<p>

"I'm sorry… I guess having a parent for part of your life and having them die is worse than never knowing them at all…" Falon said sympathetically.

"Yeah," I replied, clearing my throat when my voice came out rough and hoarse. "But it's alright. I'm fine." I assured her. "Let's go to sleep. We still have to wake up at seven!" I exclaimed, making Falon groan. I laughed, bad memories forgotten. "Good night…" I murmured, already drifting off to sleep.

"G'night…" Falon said with a yawn. I curled up closer to Glacie, sharing her warmth. And to think, tonight would be the last night I spent in my room for a long time…

I yawned as well, and drifted off slowly, thinking of the days and adventures to come. It would all start tomorrow…

* * *

><p><em>Yep! I gave Dawn a traveling companion! I just thought that traveling by herself would get old. And about the romance thing, I've made up my mind! But I'm not telling. Furthermore! I got a review this morning, and finished it within the hour! Reviews make me write faster, people! And, yes, I know, Falon is an orphan, yada-yada-yada, cliché, but that is going to be EXTREMELY IMPORTANT later on in the story. So keep that in mind! I also made her a fighter because I thought that someone should be able to kick major butt in the story, but I thought that Dawn would be a bit too delicate to do that. Also, this chapter is super long, and unless I get a boatload of reviews saying they liked it better this way, I am never making a chapter this length ever again. It took me three days. Three days!<em>

_Pure Gamer: Wow, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I really appreciated it, and you helped me say to myself, "Hey, this person's right, I can't please everyone, so why not just make the fanfic so that it pleases _me?"_ Because that's why I did this in the first place, because I wanted to. So, thank you very much! Keep reviewing!_

_Alrighty then, I think that's all. I should have the next chapter up pretty soon, like tomorrow, or the next day. Please review!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	7. Chapter 6

_Hey ya'll! I happen to be in fantastic mood right now, for no reason in particular, despite the fact that I have a boatload of homework and I'm spending all my time writing fanfics… Well, there goes my good mood… Ah, well! I got four reviews on my latest chapter, which is a record breaker for me, however pathetic that may sound, and I'm thrilled! So, it's not like, aw, I only got four reviews, it's more like, I CAN SCROLL DOWN NOW!_

_Enjooooooy!_

_Shoutouts to Sonicboom123456, Katieisawesome, Pure Gamer, and Rogue Krayt Dragon!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 6~<em>

_**BEEP! BEEP! PIKA-PIKA CHUUUU!**_

I bolted up in my bed, and for a second, I forgot that I had set my Pikachu alarm to go off as loud as it possibly could. I heard a squeal and realized that I had accidentally hurled Glacie off the bed.

"Glacie! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" I asked her from my bed, concerned as she rubbed the side of her head. I hurriedly scooped her up and placed her on my soft light purple covers. She blinked a couple times, and then smiled as well as she could, having a beak and all, but she somehow managed a sweet grin and reassured me with a cheery "Pip!" I smiled and looked back down. Falon was sleeping on the air mattress, her face buried in her pillow and her orange mane splayed out around her. It seemed that she had only been slightly disturbed by I giggled when I noticed that, with her blanket pulled up to her neck and her face in her pillow, she just looked like a mess of fiery hair. _"Falon,"_ I whispered, causing Naruto to stir. He blinked at me a few times, then put his head back in his paws and closed his eyes. I frowned, not getting a reaction out of Falon. "Falon." I said, louder this time. Still nothing. "Falon!" I yelled, moving my foot out of the safety of my warm bed to nudge her.

She groaned and said something along the lines of, "I'm awake, just… five more minutes…" I smiled and nudged her some more, this time earning a growl and a glare, "I'm up, I'm up," She grumbled before retreating back into the depths of her pillow. Laughing, I nudged her again and this time she tried to smack my foot away, missing by about seven inches.

"C'mon, time to get up," I said, laughter in my voice. She groaned and rolled over, facing away from me. Naruto yelped, as he was displaced when his owner moved, and, finally giving in, he stretched and leaped off the air mattress. Sniffing, he looked around and padded downstairs, where an alluring scent was emanating from. Getting out of bed, I changed into my outfit from yesterday, as it seemed as though my mother had washed the clothes yet again. I pressed my fluffy white scarf to my face and inhaled the clean lavender aroma. A pang of homesickness hit me, because, even though I hadn't left yet, I knew that it would be some time before I got to see my familiar bedroom again. I surveyed the room, with it's light beige walls, creamy wooden floors, and fuzzy pink rug. So many memories. I sauntered over to the tv and crouched down to the shelf of Wii games and DVDs. I sighed, surveying the items that I sadly knew I couldn't bring with me. Yet, everything I had made up some part of me. It's strange, when you think about it, that if you remove even one item or event from you childhood, you would probably be an entirely different person. Looking at the movie titled _Howl's Moving Castle,_ I smiled, remembering how obsessed I used to be with that film. The familiar feeling of nostalgia overcame me, and I became wistful for my childhood, where everything was so much easier, so much simpler.

Hearing a frustrated growl, I turned around and noticed that Glacie was making an enormous effort to wake Falon, but it seemed as if my new traveling companion had gone back to sleep. Sighing, I grabbed my Pikachu alarm and set it for seven fifteen, and, dragging the cord as far as it would go, placed it near Falon's head. "I don't want to have to do this," I warned her, though it went unnoticed by the snoring girl. I headed for the stairs. Glacie chirped, hesitating to follow, and I turned to face her at the head of the staircase. "Trust me, you don't want to be here when that alarm goes off." Glacie looked thoughtful for a moment, and apparently decided to heed my advice, because she soon trailed after me. We entered the living room, and the heavenly aroma filled my nostrils, making my mouth water. Stepping into the kitchen, I immediately noticed Naruto gulping down some homemade pokechow while Mimi looked on jealously. Padding up to her, I crouched and stroked her back.

"What's wrong, girl? Don't be jealous of Naruto; you get homemade pokechow everyday." I reasoned with her, causing her to sniff haughtily and turn to her own bowl of food. I giggled, watching her manage to eat and glare at the innocent Shinx at the same time. Our stubborn Glameow had been that way as long as I could remember. Always jealous of anyone or anything that gets attention from my mom, with the exception of Nullama. It seemed as if the only thing Johanna's Pokemon had in common was their protective and sometimes overbearing nature. And yet, they were what some would describe as the best of friends.

I heard the back door opening and looked up to see my mother enter the kitchen. I glanced past her and noticed that Nullama had been let out of her pokeball and was being fed out in the backyard. My mother was wearing a teal blue skirt, a blue shirt, and a pink apron. Her deep blue hair, matching mine, was clipped back on the right side with a pink hair clip. Her feet glided silently on the floor, making me realize that she had on her fuzzy pink slippers that I had given her for Christmas last year. She glanced at the two new Poke-additions to the kitchen, and finally realized that I was sitting at the counter.

"Oh, Dawn! Is it seven already?" Glancing at the clock, I noticed that it was seven fourteen. I smiled.

"Yeah… Mom?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at me questioningly. "You might want to cover your ears. I nodded to the clock and placed my hands on my ears. Johanna, confusingly following my lead, did the same and put her own hands over her ears. Glacie stiffened and placed her flippers over her… ears? Either way, they each covered a side of her head. Naruto blinked, also confused, and did he best he could to cover his perky round ears with his paws. Mimi, always the proud one, decided that protecting her own ears was too degrading for a Pokemon of her stature, so instead, she sat up straight and turned her nose up. I looked at the clock.

7:15.

_**BEEP! BEEP! PIKA-PIKA CHUUUU!**_

"_**AHHHHHHHH!"**_

Even through my hands the blast of sound was deafening and I instinctively grimaced. Finally the ungodly screech ended and I put my hands down slowly. I glanced across the kitchen to see my mother taking her hands away from her ears as well, although her hands were shaking. Glacie appeared to be fine, other than the fact that she seemed to be having trouble focusing on anything, and on closer inspection, her eyes were rolling around in her head. Naruto seemed to have passed out. I didn't blame him. Mimi was probably regretting her decision to remain stoic, although I doubted she could even think. Our Glameow appeared to have been petrified in Falon's scream, her normally springy tail was straight out, and she was on her side, but stiff as a board. Her normally bright blue eyes were glazed over, and for a second I was concerned, wondering if the scream could've killed her. But my fears were soon dashed as I saw her twitch several times.

Outside, Nullama roared, answering what she probably thought was a cry of her own species. Close enough.

* * *

><p>"Well, that was interesting." My mother commented cheerfully after we had all recovered from the brutal onslaught to our senses, although my ears were still ringing. I heard a thumping noise over said ringing, and a moment later Falon sluggishly trudged into the kitchen and slumped down in the stool next to me. After a moment of everybody staring at her, she moved her arm out and shoved me off of my chair.<p>

"Hey!" I called out pointedly from the floor. She turned her head creakily to face me, and laughed creepily.

"That's how I felt when I was woken up like _that."_ I chuckled as I climbed back on the stool, and earned a glare from Falon, but it quickly melted into an easy grin. _Traveling is going to be more fun than I thought._

"Yes, that scream was quite impressive, Falon." Johanna complimented, making Falon blush and rub the back of her head, "I bet you could learn Hyper Voice!"

* * *

><p>After a wonderful breakfast of eggs and bacon, we were all packed and ready to head out. I withdrew Glacie after she had begun to fight with Mimi about which one would get the left over eggs. In the end, Naruto ate it while they were arguing.<p>

"Hey, Dawn? I'm going to go on outside," Falon called from the front room as I put my plate away.

After I had put my plate in the dishwasher, I stood silently in the middle of the room. Seeing that Nullama was still in the backyard, I opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside. The large Kangaskhan was circling a spot on the grass, which confused me. She had never done that before.

"Something wrong?" I said, walking toward her. Hearing my approach, she turned around, her muzzle bared in a snarl, stopping me in my tracks. Nullama was threatening me? "N-Nullama… It's me, Dawn." Blinking a few times, she relaxed and I slowly moved toward her. When I got close enough, I realized that she had been walking around a patch of tall grass that had some sort of lump in it. As I drew closer, my eyes widened.

It was an egg.

A slender, perfect egg. That had a green circle on the top and a light brown circle on the bottom with dark brown in between.

"Good Arceus…" I murmured, an elated feeling growing inside me. I kneeled next to the egg and looked back up at Nullama. "Nullama, you're going to be a Mom!" She huffed proudly and nudged the egg.

"Dawn! It's time to head out!" Falon's cry snapped me back into the present. I stood, and looked at Nullama.

"I'll miss you, girl. Take good care of that egg of yours!" She nodded and looked at me sternly, as if to say _Don't you tell anyone._ I nodded hastily and patted her on the head. "Don't worry about that. You'll be a great mom." I struggled to get my parting words out. Nullama had been my caretaker whenever Mom wasn't around. She took care of me, with the exception of cooking, and was always there when I needed her. She looked at me with kind eyes. "And think about how surprised Mom will be when you walk in one day with a baby!" I laughed as I retreated back into the house. Closing the screen door behind me, I trotted quickly upstairs to my room. Grabbing my small duffel bag, I attached a shoulder strap to my violin and slung it over my back. I paced quickly out of my room, staring at my feet. I knew that if I got sentimental I would never be able to leave. I took deep breaths as I walked through the cozy living room, and stumbled outside, where Falon and my mother were waiting for me.

"You're bringing your violin?" Johanna asked questioningly, her brows furrowed in confusion, "What if you break it? Or lose it?" Now it was my turn to frown.

"I'll be careful," I told her. My mom looked like she wanted to argue, but thought better of it. Naruto barked at the door and brissled static electricity. I whirled around, curious, and saw that Mimi had gotten out an open window and was strutting towards us. "Mimi?" I said, concerned, as she rubbed up against my legs and pawed at my knees. "I'll miss you too, girl." I said soothingly, crouching down to pet her, making her purr. I stood and looked into my mother's smiling face.

"I always knew this day would come," She stated sadly, bringing me into a soft embrace. A lump gathered in my throat and I struggled to speak.

"I'll m-miss you," I whispered, my voice catching. She pulled back and grasped me by my shoulders, and I noticed that her eyes were glistening.

"I'll miss you, too. Be safe." I nodded and bit my lip. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't. Oh, to heck with it. Tears spilled over my eyelashes and I hugged my mom like the little girl I really was. I took deep breaths and released my mother, who looked like she was trying very hard not to cry. She turned to Falon, a cheerful smile on her face. Falon was looking bashfully away, as if she didn't want to intrude on this little mother-daughter moment. "Falon, take good care of my little girl," She said, making me turn red. Falon nodded solemnly, as did Naruto.

"Don't worry, I will," She said with laughter in her voice. I sniffed and wiped my eyes, moving to stand beside my friend.

"Well, Mom…" I trailed off, not knowing how to continue, "Goodbye?" I said it as if it were a question rather than a farewell. Johanna shook her head.

"No." I blinked, "We'll see each other again, and when we do," She paused, a smile growing on her face, "You'll be a big, strong, successful trainer! I won't stand a chance against you!" She finished, making me laugh.

"Well, alright then! Goodbye for now!" I called, walking away with Falon at my heels, Naruto trotting alongside her. My mother turned to walk back into the house, but stopped with her hand on the doorknob, and waved at us. I stopped, waving back at her until she retreated back into the house. The lump reappeared in my throat, but I swallowed it and stood beside Falon. "Off on an adventure…" I murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

"Who knows what'll happen?" She said with a laugh as we walked down my street for the last time. I looked around, absorbing every detail of my home. Finally we came to the end of the street and started down the dirty path. When we came across the fork in the road, Falon immediately trotted down the right one that led to the forest, but I hung back, staring towards the lake path. I remembered that cry I heard last time I went there with Barry. What did it mean? Why did it seem to have such a huge impact on me? "Dawn!" Falon called from within the woods, and I hesitantly turned away from the lake and jogged to catch up with her, but thoughts of the strange cry lingered in the back of my mind, as they would for a very long time.

Once we had trekked about halfway through the woods, a shout reached my ears, and I turned around just in time to see a blonde and orange figure speeding toward us.

"Barry!" I called as he grew nearer. I lifted my hand to stop him, but he didn't slow down the tiniest bit. He ran even faster, if anything. He came closer, close enough for me to see Tyke running along side him, not even breaking a sweat, his little twig being bent down from the wind resistance. A bud of nervousness bloomed in my stomach; what if he didn't stop and plowed right over Falon and I? A superficial fear, maybe, but he was running fast enough to cause injury, that's for sure.

"_Hey! Dawn!" _Barry cried, each word growing louder than the next. In mere seconds he passed the two of us, making my coat flutter around my body and Falon grab her bag to keep it from flying off her shoulder, _"First one to Jubilife is AWESOOOOME!"_ He screamed over his shoulder, elongating the word awesome and making me roll my eyes.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted back, _"First one to get to Jubilife without forgetting anything is even BETTEERRR!"_ I retaliated, making Falon laugh. In the distance, Barry fell, sending up a cloud of dust. But, he soon picked himself back up and continued onward until we could no longer see him. All of this had happened in less than ten seconds.

"Is he…" Falon began, staring at the horizon with a dumbfounded look.

"Always like that? Pretty much." I finished for her, which earned me a disbelieving glance from both Naruto and Falon. I shrugged. "Stick with me and you'll get used to it. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him." The thought made me sigh as we continued on once more.

"Do you think we need to stop by the Professor's?" I questioned Falon as we arrived in Sandgem Town.

"Hmm… Probably. He might have something important to tell us." I nodded and we set off for the Professor's. We walked in a companionable silence, the quiet being broken by the sounds and noises of everyday Sandgem Town life. When we finally reached the lab, however, we found the door locked. "This… is weird…" Falon said as she struggled to open the door, finally giving up when she realized that it wasn't going to budge.

"Hey! You must be the two trainers the Professor told me about!" I turned around to see a man with black hair and dorky glasses. He looked familiar, too… "I'm one of Professor Rowan's assistants; he told me to wait for you two. Although, he also mentioned a hasty boy with blonde hair, but I haven't seen him…" Falon and I shared a look, and she spoke up.

"Did you happen to feel a strange gust of wind at any point in the last half an hour or so?" The man got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Speaking of which… Yes! I have! Why?" My companion and I exchanged another glance.

"Never mind. So, the Professor told you to wait for us? Why?" Falon quickly changed the subject.

"Oh!" The man started rummaging in the satchel he had slung over his shoulder, bringing out two folded pieces of paper, "Here you go! Sinnoh maps for each of you." We opened our respective maps and examined them. I was awed by how… Big the Sinnoh Region really was. It would take who-knows-how-long to trek all the way across it.

"Um, sir?" I started.

"Please, call me Mr. Koki," Mr. Koki alerted us. "I'm Lucas's father," He informed us, making me realize that that was how he looked familiar. Aside from the geeky glasses, Lucas was the spitting image of his dad.

"Yes, Mr. Koki? I happen to know that other trainer; I'll give him his map." I told him.

"Oh, alright, then! Makes my job easier," He jokingly told us as he pulled out another parcel and handed it to me. "Thanks!" He said before tapping his head and strolling off down the street. We put our bags away and followed Mr. Koki's lead, walking down the street and away from Rowan's lab.

We soon came across an odd looking building with a blue roof and a half-pokeball design. I was about to walk right past it when Falon grabbed my arm and pulled me back to stand in front of it.

"I'll bet you don't know what a Pokemart is," She stated knowingly as I shook my head. "Well, you're looking at it! And that building over there?" She said, pointing to a similar building, but bigger and with an orange roof, "That's a Pokemon Center. It heals your Pokemon for you and serves as a hotel for trainers. Now, c'mon! We need to stock up!" She said, tugging me into the Pokemart. We browsed the wares for a while, and I ended up getting three potions, which heal Pokemon, as I learned from Falon, and a bag of pokechow. After I had paid for my items, I walked outside, preferring to wait for my friend in the cool breeze.

Speaking of which, it certainly was getting cold for October, and I was thankful that I wore my coat. Suddenly a gust of wind dragged my hat off of my head, and I chased after it. Tumbling through the breeze, I began to worry that it would blow out into the street and get run over by a passing car, when suddenly a pale hand snatched it out of the air.

"Oh, sorry!" I apologized, trotting up to the woman who now held my beanie, "That Autumn wind, am I right?" I smiled at the woman standing before me. She had short, bright red hair and matching eyes. She was wearing a long-sleeved black leotard and pink tights, along with tan ballet shoes. She smiled at me and handed me my hat, which I gratefully secured back on top of my head.

"Don't I know it," She joked, laughing. I laughed with her. "Are you new in town?" She asked politely. This woman seemed nice, maybe in her early twenties? Either way, she was young.

"No, just passing through."

"Pokemon trainer?" She said, rather than asked, with a knowing look.

"Yes." I confirmed, nodding. For a second, I thought I saw a shadow pass over her face for a moment, but it faded so fast I couldn't be sure if it was real or not. "Thank you so much for getting my hat," I thanked her, but she waved it away with a graceful sweep of her hand.

"Don't mention it," There was a shout from inside the building next to us, and she turned towards it, "Oops, gotta run. Nice chatting with you!" She called as she entered the building. I looked at the neon sign in the window. _Dance for the Stars._ When I looked through the clear glass window, I saw that the woman was now standing in front of a class of children, all dressed similarly to her. It appeared as if she was a dance instructor, and she taught at the dance studio. It would explain her clothes, at least.

"Hey!" I turned around to find Falon walking towards me, an irritated expression on her face. "You told me you would wait for me outside!" I looked around, pretending to be innocent.

"This is outside." I stated, making her roll her eyes and grin.

"You know what I mean. Do you need to go to the Pokemon Center for anything?" I shook my head, and she pulled me along the sidewalk. "Alright then! To Jubilife City!" She half-shouted, pointing into the distance, making people stare at us.

"Falon!" I chided.

"What? I didn't do nothin'." She said innocently, making me roll my eyes.

"C'mon, let's go." I started, making her grin even wider.

"Alright! Look out, world! Falon and Dawn are coming through!" She yelled again, dragging me down the street, making even more people stare at us. Naruto barked loudly, which didn't help matters. "Race you!" She called, taking off down the street, earning glares as she shoved past people. I sighed, racing after my spunky friend. This was going to be a long journey.

"Do we really have to run?" I asked, exasperated, when I caught up to her. She lightly punched me in the arm, not slowing down in the slightest.

"Oh, lighten up! We _are _starting an adventure, after all!" She reasoned. I rolled my eyes again.

"Oh, fine. Let's go!" I challenged, speeding up and earning a laugh from Falon, thinking the whole time how right she was.

* * *

><p><em>So, I've gotten through, like, what? The first twenty minutes of the game? This is going to take forever… Oh well! First off, I'd like to apologize for not updating in a week. I had planned to get this up on Monday or Tuesday, but I didn't get a chance, and then Wednesday through Friday I was at a friend's house, and had no internet access. Yesterday, I was just being lazy. I've also been sick yesterday and today, which has also dampened my good mood, but, hey! If I can stay home from school tomorrow, I promise I will write another chapter and get it up! I'm planning on having another chapter up, anyways.<em>

_I had planned on Nullama giving Dawn her egg to take with her, but then realized A) That would be a very out of character thing for a Kangaskhan to do, and B) Kangaskhan are only available after you win the game and obtain a National Pokedex, and I was being lazy and didn't want to make something up, and C) Dawn is just starting out, and I personally found it unwise to give an inexperienced trainer an egg. I then relayed those feelings to Nullama._

_I'd also like to state that, in copying Sonicboom123456, hope you don't mind, I AM accepting OCs. There will be many more in this fanfic, so if you would like to see one of your characters in it, then tell me about them! But, on one condition, also copying Sonicboom123456, again, hope you don't mind, they **must. Be. Detailed.** All right? Now…_

_Sonicboom123456: Thank you! I try to update fast, as I am on a tight schedule. And I did try to differentiate their personalities, and I will work more on that. But, the alarm clock thing? I felt as if that would be something Falon would do, but I couldn't resist. I know stereotypes are sometimes good, true, but I wanted to do something different for Falon. But! I will delve deeper into her personality, so you might see some stereotyping later on._

_Katieisawesome: Oh. My. (Insert word of your choice here). I cannot possibly tell you how much that statement meant to me. Please, keep reading and reviewing! You nearly made me cry, by the way!_

_Pure Gamer: Thank you so much! I try to write well, and it appears as if all the work I've put into this is paying off!_

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Thank you for your insight. I do realize that my summary and title aren't the best, but I keep drawing a blank whenever I try to revise them. I am planning some plot twists (evil grin), and thanks for the comment on my description. I try to be detailed when I write, mostly because I want to impress my teachers, because in my school, I don't know about other schools, but most kids are still writing things like; The blue car was fast. Uh-uh. Not me. I can't take that kind of thing, so the fact that you complimented my description meant a lot._

_I apologize if this chapter dragged on or wasn't good. As I said, I was sick this weekend, so this isn't my best work. It was also a bit of a filler chapter. My line break thingy is also not working, but I'll try and get it up and running. (EDIT: I did.)_

_Also, I'll give you a virtual hug if anyone can guess who the red-haired lady was!_

_This was a very long Author's Note. I'm sorry. If you've read this far, I congratulate you! Now, I'm off to bed, right after I take another Aspirin…_

_Shoot. I don't own Aspirin, either._

_Sincerely,_

_A very, very tired, yet somehow satisfied, Russetwing_


	8. Chapter 7

_Hiya! Guess what? I got to stay home from school for the past week due to my aforementioned ailments. Too bad I missed Physics… NOT! Hehe, I think the viruses have addled my brain, so I apologize in advance for any errors. The effect sickness has on me is weird. For example, because my nose gets stopped up and runny, I have to breath from my mouth, which dries out my lips really fast. You'd think that'd make me want to drink water, right? Wrong. The only thing I drink when I'm sick is tea. And Vitamin Water. (Which I don't own). It also makes me dizzy and muddles my sense of balance, which is why I try to avoid the stairs. Unfortunately, that is nearly impossible for me, because my only food source, la cuisine, aka the kitchen, est en bas, and ma chambre est en haut. Sigh. Look at me, speaking my mediocre French… I've done it. I've actually cracked. Ah, well! I think that happened a long time ago, anyways!_

_Amusez-vous!_

_Shoutouts to Rogue Krayt Dragon, The Last Dragonite, and Pure Gamer!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 7~<em>

"…So… Do you know how to get to Jubilife City?" I asked Falon hesitantly as we started on our second hour in the forest separating Sandgem Town and Jubilife City. She suddenly stopped walking, and I slowed down and turned to her, a feeling of dread growing inside me. "You don't, do you? How come you didn't say anything for the past _hour?_"

"…Well, I thought you knew the way! But… we do have our maps!" Falon argued when I looked at her incredulously, pulling her map out of her bag and sitting down, leaning against a tree. Sighing in defeat, I pulled out my own map and sat down as well. I squinted to see the smaller details, such as a path through the Jubilife Forest, but soon gave up.

"Well, according to the map, there _is _no path." I stated disbelievingly. Falon looked at me, slightly panicked, and scrutinized her own map, turning it this way and that.

"Well… There might be… But… I can't… Ugh…" She growled in frustration, slamming the large piece of paper on her knees and turning her burning green eyes on me. "It's too small. I can't see anything." I sighed and thought about what to do.

"We could always head back and ask-" I suggested, but Falon cut me off.

"Uh-uh, we've been in here for over an hour, I'm not walking the entire way back. Plus, we _have_ been in here for over an hour, we must be close by now!" She said with a forced grin. "So, how about we have lunch?" I blinked.

"Lunch? But we just had breakfast!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Over an hour ago! Probably over two hours ago, because of the time it took us to _get_ to this stupid forest!" She crossed her arms and huffed, and I imagined what Barry would look like if he did the same thing. The resemblance was frightening.

I shook my head in defeat. "Fine. Lunch it is. But when the _real_ lunchtime rolls around and we don't have any food, don't blame me." I opened my duffel bag and pawed around inside it, looking for the lunch I had brought from home. My hand brushed something smooth and round, and something clicked. There was a flash of red light, and suddenly Glacie was sitting in my bag, her blue coloring contrasting with the pink and white of my duffel.

"Pip-pip! Piplup?" She asked, probably wondering why we were in the middle of a giant forest.

"We're lost, Glacie," I explained gently. After a few shocked and panicked _"Pip!"_s later, I had calmed her down enough to resume looking for my lunch. "Ah-ha! Finally!" I exclaimed in triumph as I pulled out a slightly squished peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. I started to peel away the plastic wrap when I remembered that Glacie didn't have any food. Pulling out the pokechow I had bought earlier that day, I realized that I didn't have anything to put it in. I wasn't going to put it on the ground and have Glacie eat off the forest floor like a dog. She at least deserved a bowl. Rummaging through my bag once again, for a container this time, I was interrupted by my growling stomach, followed by a laugh from Falon.

"What'd I tell you? Walking burns energy." She said with a full mouth. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw that Falon had already eaten half of her sandwich and had another one in her lap. Naruto was eating his pokechow out of the round plastic container it came in, while Glacie looked on jealously.

"Where'd you get that?" I interrogated, glaring at the bowl.

"What? The second sandwich, or the bowl?"

"Both?"

"Bought the sandwich at the pokemart. They sell stuff for people, too, you know. As for the food… Single-meal packages. Bought about seven of them. Don't want my little ninja going hungry, do I?" She said while lovingly stroking Naruto's shiny blur fur. She suddenly glanced up at me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You can have one, if you like." She said slyly.

"At what cost?" I was suspicious now. This seemed off.

"You have to give me your sandwich."

"No way!" I exclaimed hotheadedly, "You have _two!"_

"Yes, but I'm very hungry."

I growled in frustration, and then remembered; it was my hunger or Glacie's. "…Alright," I agreed grudgingly, handing over my sandwich.

"Thanks!" She said, putting her hand in her bag and bringing out a matching pokechow container with a seal on it. She threw it at me, already starting to unwrap my sandwich. I dove sideways- still sitting down- to catch it and barely missed, feeling the smooth plastic graze my fingertips. I landed on my stomach, slightly irked, and went to retrieve it. Beginning to open it up, I was hit on the top of my head with something small and hard.

"Ow…" I muttered, looking up. There, sitting in the branches of the tree I had been leaning against, was a Starly. My eyes widened at the Pokemon that wasn't running away, like the rest I'd seen so far. If anything, it seemed to be looking for a fight, kicking an acorn off of one of the branches, narrowly missing my face. I began to finger the zipper of my bag, planning on catching the bird, but then realized that I had forgotten to buy pokeballs at the Pokemart. I mentally smacked myself in the head. How could I forget such a necessity? "Falon. Look." I said quietly, so as not to scare the bird Pokemon away. Glacie looked up, catching the bird's attention. It turned its head away in a snooty manner, making Glacie twitch.

"Piplup! Pip-piplup pip!" She crowed, probably shouting explicatives or challenging the Starly to a fight. I shushed her and called her back to my side.

"What?" Falon whispered back, her voice muffled by peanut butter and jelly, this time. I pointed upward, and her eyes followed the line, all the way up to the Starly. Her eyes widened, and she reached into her bag, pulling out a pokeball.

"Are you going to catch it?" I whispered, my eyes trained on the Starly. If she _were_ going to catch it I wouldn't want to scare it away. Besides, this was my first real encounter with a wild Pokemon, and I wanted it to last as long as possible. Nodding, she cautiously stood up, slinging her backpack carelessly over her shoulder and moved towards the tree, stopping when she came to the base of the largest moss-covered root, the Starly's eyes following her the entire time. All of a sudden, the Starly flapped its wings and, swooping low to the ground, began to fly away from us.

"Oh no you don't! Naruto, after it!" She shouted, taking off after the Starly, Naruto on her heels. I scrambled up and chased after her, only pausing to scoop Glacie into my arms. Shifting the small penguin into one of my arms, I grabbed my bag and violin case in my right hand. I took off after Falon, leaping as best I could over roots and fallen tree trunks. When I finally caught sight of Falon, she was dashing into a clearing, not even pausing when she tore through some brambles. I winced. That had to hurt. Picking my way carefully around the edge of the clearing, I emerged out of the cool shade of the trees and into the sunlight. The clearing was relatively small, but on one edge the foliage ended, giving way to a rocky slope. Naruto and the Starly were facing off, staring each other down with piercing eyes, one set yellow and the other pitch black. Falon was standing a distance behind the Shinx, pokeball in hand. "Naruto, use Tackle!" She instructed, and almost immediately he hurled himself at the Starly, knocking it off its feet. The Starly shrieked, struggling out of Naruto's grip, and growled at him, eyes burning. Naruto whimpered and flinched, giving the bird Pokemon enough time to launch itself at Naruto, shoving him back. With an odd battle cry, Glacie leaped out of my arms and threw herself into the fray. She propelled herself at the Starly, giving Naruto the chance to recover and attack. With both Pokemon attacking it mercilessly, the Starly shrieked in pain. I looked on in silence; the tide of the battle was changing swiftly. But, watching the brutal attack on the Starly, a feeling of guilt and pity welled inside of me.

"Glacie! Come back!" I ordered her, and after giving me a shocked look, I took out her pokeball and called her back. "It's nothing personal." I murmured softly to the Pokemon inside the orb, hoping she could hear me, "I just think the battle should be even." Watching the battle from my viewpoint, I noticed that the dueling Pokemon were scooting dangerously close to the edge of the hill. The Starly would probably be fine if it fell; it could fly. But Naruto… "Falon! Watch out!" I called, but it was too late. The Starly tackled Naruto one more time, and the force was enough to send them both tumbling down the slope. I rushed to the edge and peered over. It wasn't as steep as I had thought, but it was covered in small sharp rocks. My heart sank in dismay as I saw that at the bottom of the hill was a rushing river, and on the other side was a steep ravine. My gaze swept over the hill, and I finally spotted the tumbling Pokemon about thirty feet from the shore. If they fell any further, they would fall straight into the river. "Falon! Come on!" I called, throwing my stuff down.

I took off down the slope, my feet pounding against the loose ground, scattering stones and pebbles everywhere. I heard a scraping noise behind me and rocks sprayed against the back of my legs. Falon came into my peripheral vision, her hair flying out behind her. Even at that moment, I thought about how she looked like her head was on fire. She came up along side me, and I noticed she had a pokeball in each hand. Turning my gaze back to the Pokemon, I saw that Naruto had detached himself from the Starly and was tumbling down in the left direction while the Starly was falling towards the right. Giving a loud squawk, the Starly attempted to push off the ground and fly away, but it's feet got tangled on the loose stones and it fell, landing painfully on its wing. Naruto gave a yelp as the ground steepened and he started sliding down the ground faster than ever. There was a flash of red light, and he disappeared just as he was about to roll into the river. I glanced to the side and saw that Falon had done some sort of ninja landing and was balanced precariously on a large boulder. Standing up quickly, she wasted no time in jumping off and, skidding slightly on the rocks, and threw her spare pokeball at the Starly. For a second I thought it was going to miss and the Starly was going to plummet into the river, but the pokeball hit the edge of its wing, and the Starly evaporated in a flash of red light. I breathed a sigh of relief as it made a clicking sound while still in midair, but that relief immediately burned away as the white and red ball continued bouncing down the slope, heading straight for the rushing current.

I raced after it without hesitation, moving my feet faster and faster, faster than I thought possible, as it neared the treacherous waters. It had nearly reached the shore by then, and I knew it had only seconds before it was lost in the tumult forever. Steeling myself, I jumped onto a large, loose boulder and pushed off of it with all my might, sending me flying through the air, both of my hands outstretched and aiming for the pokeball. Bracing myself for impact, I closed my eyes and my hand grasped something smooth and round, but before I could rejoice in the catch, I crashed to the ground, the hard stone knocking the wind out of me. Sharp rocks and stones dug in to my chin and before I could stop myself, I had done a summersault straight into the river.

Only to land painfully on my face. Again.

Bubbles escaping from my mouth in shock, I gasped for air, only for my lungs to be assaulted as water streamed into my mouth. I thought my scarf was going to suffocate me, if that was possible in water, as it swelled in size and covered my mouth. Flailing about, I finally pushed off the riverbed and my head broke the surface of the water. Gasping for air and coughing, my feet finally found the ground and I shakily stood up, my drenched clothes weighing me down. I thanked my lucky stars as I thought about what would've happened if the current had been faster, or if I had rolled into the deeper part of the river. Panic overwhelmed me as I thought I had dropped the pokeball, but I looked at my left hand to discover that my grip on the red and white orb was so strong that my knuckles were white.

Climbing shakily out of the river, I was greeted by a flying tackle hug from Falon, who was screaming a mixture of things that sounded close to, "OH-MY-ARCEUS-ARE-YOU-OKAY-THAT-WAS-SUCH-A-STUPID-THING-TO-DO-YOU-COULD-HAVE-DIED-THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU-YOU'RE-SO-WET-THANK-YOU!" Finally freeing me from her grip, I handed her the pokeball with shaking hands, but smiling all the same. She took it, but she had a strange look on her face. "You should have it." She said, holding the pokeball out to me. My eyes widened and I put my hands up in defense, my sleeves dripping water.

"No, thank you. Honestly, the only reason I did that was to save the Pokemon. I can't take it. You caught it." Falon looked like she was about to argue, but I gave her my best _you better not bring this up again_ glare, and she sighed, giving up.

"Are you sure?" She asked one final time as we headed back up the slope.

"Positive." She held the pokeball to her face, as if she was somehow scrutinizing the Pokemon inside it. I sighed and took off my scarf, snapping the white material out to remove some of the water. My boots made uncomfortable squelching sounds with each step, a reminder to me of my heroic deed, and the fact that because of said deed, my ribs and stomach hurt like nobody's business.

"Alright." She said as we reached the top of the slope. "Well, we better see how you're doing." She said as she released the Starly. It popped out in a flash of light, and immediately looked around, noticing that we were safely back in the clearing. It turned its piercing gaze back to us, and squawked loudly, fluttering it's wings, and then wincing. Remembering how the Starly hurt it's wing when it was falling down the slope, I grabbed a potion out of my bag. I was about to head over to spray the Starly, when I remembered that the Starly was Falon's Pokemon; she should have the right to heal it.

"Falon." I said, grasping her attention and tossing her the purple spray bottle. She caught it in both hands and looked at me curiously.

"You're giving this to me?"

"One condition," I told her, earning a groan.

"What?" She asked, exaggerating the word.

"That extra sandwich." This earned me another groan as Falon, unable to refuse healing her Pokemon, gestured to her bag. With an evil grin I opened it up and grabbed my sandwich, stuffing it in my bag for later. There was a spraying sound and I heard the Starly cooing as she healed her new Pokemon. When I turned back, Falon was kneeling down in front of it as I removed my sodden coat, which had done nothing to protect my black and pink attire from the water. Wringing it out, I spread it out on the ground next to my scarf, and got to work removing my boots. When I turned each one upside down, about a pint of water came out of each one, soaking my socks further. Peeling my white knee-highs off, I lay them out to dry as well. Finally, I tugged my hat off of my head, glad that it hadn't come loose in the river. I moved back over to Falon, rubbing my chin and face where it hurt the most. "So, Starly, are you a boy? Or a girl?" She asked it. The Starly squawked again in response, earning a sigh from Falon. "How are we going to figure out if it's a girl or a boy?" She asked, turning her head to face me. I frowned, and walked over to my bag, pulling out my pokedex and the amateur first aid kit my mom had given me. Using the camera-like fixture, I scanned the Starly and its data appeared on the screen.

"Starly. Female. Knows Tackle, Growl, and Quick Attack. Starly are complacent Pokemon, remaining calm and cool at nearly all times. They are very sociable." I read off of the pokedex. I looked at the Starly. And looked back at my pokedex. That didn't sound anything like this Starly. Glancing back up at Falon, I saw that she was staring intently at the Starly, who was looking back at her new owner curiously.

"Shalloe!" Falon suddenly cried, pointing a finger at the Starly. The Starly blinked and hopped back, flapping her wings a little.

"Shalloe?" I asked calmly, opening the first aid kit.

"Shalloe! That's what her name is. Okay?" She asked Shalloe, who seemed to be contemplating the name. She squawked and hopped into Falon's arms. Falon, looking like she was in heaven, blissfully hugged her new addition to her team. Shalloe looked uncomfortable at the close contact, and looked relieved when Falon set her on the ground.

"Why Shalloe?" I asked her quizzically.

"Because Shalloe's an unusual name, and she's an unusual Starly." I thought about it, and shrugged. Seemed like a perfect fit to me.

"Now to introduce you to the rest of us. Dawn, if you will?" I nodded, getting Glacie's pokeball and releasing her. She blinked, noticing that Shalloe was still there, and looked at me, asking for permission to attack.

"No, Glacie, Shalloe's a friend. Falon just caught her." I said, a smile on my lips. Glacie blinked several times, and for a minute I thought she was going to launch herself at Shalloe anyways. But instead, she bounced over to the wary Starly and gave a cheerful pip, grasping one of Shalloe's wings in both her flippers and shaking it vigorously. Shalloe looked like she didn't know what to do, and the look on her face was quite helpless. I laughed along with Falon as she released Naruto as well, who looked confused at the strange turn of events. Padding up to the Starly, he sniffed her, and barked something that sounded like a question.

"Star-star. Starly." Shalloe explained, and Piplup added another "Pip!" Naruto looked back and forth between the two, and finally shook his head, sighing in defeat.

"Shinx-shinx." He greeted the Starly, and they started having a conversation in poke-language, but even though I couldn't understand them, at least they seemed to be getting along.

I sat down next to Falon, the salve in my hand. "Hey, are you okay? That fall looked very painful." She asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad Shalloe is safe." I reassured her, rubbing the lotion on a particularly large scrape on my cheek.

"Well, at least you look downright terrifying. No one's going to mess with you!" Falon joked, making me lift an eyebrow.

"Wait… _What do you mean I look terrifying!_" I yelled. Did that fall really mess with my face that much?

"Well… Um… Maybe you should see for yourself…" She said, digging in her bag for something. She pulled out a small hand-held mirror and gave it to me. Almost afraid to look, I held it up to my face.

And screamed.

And the demon in the mirror screamed too.

"I-is that _me?" _ I gasped, and Falon winced.

"Yeah…" She said, grimacing. I had never considered myself to be extremely attractive, but at least I didn't normally look like a mauled Psyduck. There was a giant scrape over the left half of my face that was colored an angry, irritated red that made my stomach turn. My hair looked like a giant blue rat's nest, the pink clips crooked and lopsided. The skin around my right eye was already blackening, my chin was punctured in many places, but my hands were, miraculously, hardly scraped.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier!" I yelled, making her look away guiltily.

"The scrape didn't start getting red until just now. And I never noticed the bruise before." Feeling hopeless and disgusting, I buried my head in my arms, ignoring the way my cheek stung.

"I'm gonna be scarred forever!" I wailed, and anger boiled inside of me when Falon chuckled. _"What's so funny?"_ I asked her, lifting my head out of my arms to glare at her. I was impressed with my voice; I actually sounded dangerous. But that quickly faded as Falon began snorting, trying not to laugh.

"It's just…" She paused to put her hand over her mouth to stifle more giggles, "It's not _that_ bad. I mean," She chortled again as I glared at her harder, "Like I said, no one will _dare_ to bother you now!" I rolled by eyes and buried my face in my hands, groaning. "And besides, it'll heal eventually. Just, make sure to put a lot of medicine on it and it won't even scar!" Falon said in an attempt to reassure me. I punched her arm.

* * *

><p>After an afternoon of getting acquainted with Shalloe and rubbing boatloads of salve into my skin, we began to realize that we had absolutely no idea how to get out of the forest.<p>

"So, do you remember which way we came?" Falon asked me, lying down on the grass, Naruto asleep on her stomach.

"No, when you ran off, I just followed you." Falon groaned, realizing that we were even more lost than before. I sat down a few feet from her, crossing my legs and patting Shalloe's head. She fluttered her wings and pecked the ground, finding some sort of interest in the tall, soft grass.

"You didn't even notice your surroundings?" She pointed out with an annoyed tone. I picked Glacie up and set her in my lap, wrapping my arms around her torso as I had done so many times so far. She lightly pecked the back of my hand, what I learned to call a love-peck. I crinkled my toes, feeling the long grass under my feet. In the three hours or so we had spent here, running around and playing with our Pokemon, my clothes had yet to dry all the way. True, most of the river water had drained out of them, and my hair was had stiffened and dried, but my coat and scarf were still moist enough to be heavy and uncomfortable.

"No, I was too busy following you, trying not to fall while carrying everything I own. _Including_ my Pokemon." I explained indignantly, resting my chin gently on top of Glacie's head.

"Well, I was busy following Shalloe…" She trailed off, and we both turned our heads to look at the oblivious Starly.

"She lives in this forest…" I murmured as she looked up, finally noticing that both of our eyes were trained intently on her.

"Starly-star?" She cooed, cocking her head.

"You must know the way out…!" Falon voiced our shared realization I leaped to my feet, making Glacie squirm and hop out of my arms. Falon sat up, moving Naruto gently off her stomach and placing him on the ground. She lifted the Starly into her arms and looked her square in the eye. "Shalloe, do you know the way to Jubilife City?"

"Star-starly?"

"Ju-bi-li-fe Ci-ty." She explained, setting Shalloe down and outlined a city with her hands, drawing up a skyline with her fingers. A look of understanding dawned in the Starly's onyx eyes and she started squawking loudly and motioning with her wings towards the east.

"_Yes!"_ I exclaimed loudly, punching the air. "We're gonna get out of here!" I yelled in a singsong voice, but quickly sobered, sitting down and burying my ragged face in my arms once more.

"What's the matter?" My friend asked me, but couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Children are going to scream and run at the sight of me." I wailed miserably from my arms. She sighed and patted my back in her effort to comfort me.

"No, they won't. They'll fear you, and back away slowly, but they won't run and scream. Because you know what? They will think you got in some dangerous gang fight, and got out, the only one to live to tell the tale." I rolled my eyes and glared at Falon, not really angry. Her wild tale both humored and depressed me at the same time.

"Well, let's get ready to go." I gave in and stood up. Pulling on my newly-dried white socks, and then my rainboots, I picked up my coat and waved it in the air a couple of times to get any excess water out of it, and felt it for any signs of dampness. Approving it to be suitable, I pulled it on and grasped my scarf. Wringing it out one last time, I tied it around my neck and hefted it as far up on my face as possible.

"What're you doing?" Falon asked me, "You look like a ninja." I glared at her attempt to joke, and pulled my scarf even further up my face, covering my nose.

"Let's go." I said, and pulled on my trademark hat, which was thankfully completely dry.

"Piplup-pip!" Glacie said as I pulled out her pokeball.

"It'd be easier for you if you went back into your pokeball." I told her as clicked the button. Her nod was the last thing I saw before she dissipated into red light and withdrew into her pokeball. More of the red light lit up my face, and I turned around to see that Falon had also withdrawn Glacie and Shalloe. "Don't we need her to lead the way?" I asked, quizzical.

"Nah, she already pointed us in the right direction." She stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Doing the same, I picked up my violin and duffel, and we set out for the city.

* * *

><p>After walking for nearly two more hours in the direction Shalloe had shown us the trees began to thin out. My companion and I shared a glance, and we both started walking faster towards the light that was shining through the trees. Leaping out into the sunlight, I thought right then that I had never seen a more gorgeous sight. The sun was setting directly behind the tall skyscrapers of Jubilife City, and it was just at the point when all the lights were being turned on, highlighting the buildings and outlining the skyline in orange-y light.<p>

"Wow." Falon voiced my thoughts. I nodded in agreement, my mouth slightly open in awe.

"We're here." I murmured, just loud enough so that Falon could hear me. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye; with all the orange light being thrown everywhere, her hair looked like gold.

"Yeah. You know," She started, looking at me, "I never actually realized that I was leaving until now. I mean, _really_ leaving. Off on an adventure. Like, we aren't going to go back for a long, long time." When I thought about it, I realized that it was true. This wasn't going to be the type of journey where I could just pop back in on my mother any time I wanted. I was in this for the long haul.

"Yeah. It's a weird feeling." I summed it up. It was a weird feeling. It was both sad and exciting at the same time. But, as I had already had my fair share of nostalgia and pain for the day, I focused on the excited feeling growing inside me. Thinking of all the Pokemon, all the people I'd meet. It was something to look forward to.

* * *

><p>"So where are we going to stay for the night?" I asked as we strolled down the lively streets of Jubilife City. Even though it was getting dark, people were still crowding the broad streets.<p>

"Didn't you listen to me? The Pokemon Center acts as a hotel for trainers." Falon explained once again and I looked down bashfully.

"Alright then, where's the nearest Pokemon Center?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. She stilled, and I sighed. This again.

"Well… I'm not sure, but this is a city! So, there'll be directories and public maps and such. Or, we could just ask for directions." She explained, making me relax. We walked along the streets, taking in the tall, gray buildings, the many offices, the fountains and tourist attractions, and things of the like.

"Yeah, so, where should we buy a map?" I asked, and we patrolled the streets until we found a general store, in which we bought a map and two microwaveable meals. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on dinner, so we settled for the microwaveable packages. Walking along the streets as the last rays of sunlight disappeared on the horizon, I finally caught on to what people called "night life." Although I tried to ignore it, I noticed more and more shady people lining the streets, and I eventually grew uncomfortable. "Hey, can we head to the Pokemon center now?" I asked Falon hesitantly as she turned to me.

"You noticed it too, huh?" She assumed, gesturing with her head to the streets.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Okay. Let's go." We walked to the Pokemon Center quickly, and we reached it in under five minutes. I looked up at the building; it was much larger than the one in Sandgem town, that's for sure. It was at least four stories high; fitting in perfectly with the other buildings. The bright orange roof lit up the already bright streets and cast shadows all over the place. Falon strode up to it, not even pausing for the automatic doors and walked in. I followed, probably not looking nearly as noble.

The interior was expected; shiny tile floors that reflected your face if you looked into them; peach colored walls, and a rounded desk with a Nurse Joy behind them. Unlike all of the other Pokemon Centers I had seen n television, the one thing I wasn't expecting was a pokemart. It was there, a square of blue tiles and blue and white walls, with the familiar rounded blue counter, small shelves lined with goods. I consciously lifted my scarf further up my face, trying to hide my wounds from the rest of the people and spare myself some embarrassment.

"I thought Pokemon Centers and pokemarts were separate." I whispered to Falon, hoping she could hear me over the voices of the several other trainers in the center and my thick white scarf.

"They are." She muttered back, sounding just as confused as I felt. "Maybe they're trying something different?" She sounded doubtful, but we erased these thoughts from our mind and headed over to the Pokemon Center part of the building to greet Nurse Joy.

"Hello! How may I help you?" She asked brightly, and I felt a creepy sense of déjà vu. She looked and sounded just like all of the other Nurse Joy's in the world; how is that _not _weird?

"Yes, may we have a room for the night?" I asked politely. She smiled warmly at us and nodded. She hardly blinked when she saw my ragged cheek and purple eye, which I was grateful for.

"Of course. You're lucky, you know; we're almost out of rooms for the night. Now, what are you're names?"

"Falon McCraley."

"Dawn Hikari." She blinked as I said my name.

"Are you-"

"Yes, I'm Johanna Hikari's daughter." Nurse Joy blinked a couple more times and recovered quickly, smiling at us once again.

"Alright then. May I please see your trainer registrations?" She asked us after typing our names into the console. Falon nodded and pulled a slim yellow card out of her bag, and I stood there, feeling flustered, until I remembered that the pokedex served as a trainer card.

"Will this do?" I pulled out my familiar pink and black item and handed it to Nurse Joy. After collecting Falon's card and my pokedex, she swiped Falon's card into the console and opened up my pokedex, clicking a button and typing something into the keypad. She handed them back to us and smiled cheerfully.

"There you go! You're all set," She started, pulling two credit card-like items out of under the desk and handing one to each of us. "You're in room three-hundred and twelve; fourth floor." She informed us with yet another smile. "Have a nice night!"

"Thank you!" We called back over our shoulders as we headed to the elevator on the right side of the building.

"Have you…" Falon began as the elevator doors closed after us and pressed the button labeled 4.

"Hm?" I asked, examining my room key.

"Ever met anyone who smiles as much as her?" I glanced up at her and laughed.

"Yeah; well, not in person, but sure!" At her confused look, I laughed some more. "All the other Nurse Joy's out there!" Falon blinked, and started laughing as well. The elevator pinged, and the doors opened to reveal a cozy hallway with green carpets and beige walls. We passed countless wooden doors, all with a number on them, until we stood in front of a door labeled 312. I slid my key card through the slot and the red light on the door turned green, signaling that we could enter. We opened the doors and I immediately noticed that there were four beds in total; two sets of bunk beds each. Throwing my bag and violin down on one of the bottom bunks, I sat down next to it and pulled out my sandwich, Glacie's pokeball, her pokechow, the pokechow Falon had given me, and my newly bought microwaveable meal. Spaghetti and meatballs, apparently. I released my Piplup and turned my attention to my friend, who had thrown her stuff down on the opposite bottom bunk as well. Releasing Naruto and Shalloe, she pulled out her food items and surveyed the room for a microwave.

"Yes! We got a room with a microwave!" She celebrated, opening her meal- Ravioli and Tomato Sauce- and placed it in the small microwave. Pressing a few buttons, she started the heating process and went back to her bunk to start feeding her Pokemon.

"Some rooms don't have microwaves?" I asked, causing Falon to shrug. Using the pokechow container my friend had given me (Glacie had eaten the meal when we were resting in the clearing, and I had saved the bowl) I poured some of my pokechow into it. Setting it on the ground next to where Naruto and Shalloe were eating, I rummaged around in my bag for the salve I had used earlier in the day. As I pulled the tube out, I heard a beep and Falon collected her dinner from the microwave. Using the plastic spoon that came with it, she inhaled deeply and shoved a large spoonful into her mouth, chewing slowly. "Well?" I asked, heading for the small appliance myself. "Is it any good?"

"Dawn, my friend," She started, earning a raised eyebrow from me, "I do believe that we will be living off of these for quite a while." We spent the rest of the night like that: laughing at corny jokes and settling in with our Pokemon. We finally went to bed much later and fell asleep immediately. It had been a long day.

* * *

><p>"<em>Dawn." I blinked and looked around myself. I was standing ankle-deep in darkness. Everywhere I looked, it was dark. There was really no other way to describe it. It wasn't like my surroundings were covered in shadows, no. It was like all there was were shadows. Like this very place was a shadow. It unnerved me. So it really didn't make sense that I was standing in darkness as darkness was all around, but I could feel something wafting around my feet, something cold. Not wet, so I wasn't standing in water, but something… soft? Soft and cold. I had a feeling that it wasn't a good soft, though. It was the kind of soft silkiness that would lure you in and trap you. I remembered hearing some weird ghost story when I was a child, about a bed possessed by a Gengar that would trick tired travelers into taking a rest in the comfort of the bed, and then it would swallow them whole. Stupid story, but I couldn't help but think of it. How did I know that story? When? Where? I glanced down at myself and furrowed my brows in confusion. Despite the shadow-like surroundings, I could see myself perfectly fine. I was wearing a strapless white dress that stopped a little above the knee. I didn't recognize it. It was beautiful, very simple, but not something I'd wear. My hair was down. It looked black in the lack of light, but I knew that it was a midnight blue. I didn't normally wear it down. Didn't I? I wasn't sure. I felt my face; the skin was smooth and unscarred. Why would it be? I didn't know. I couldn't remember my name. It was something… unique. I knew that much. Looking back down, I could see every inch of my body except my bare feet. It looked like they were submerged in the darkness, as if it were dark water.<em>

"_Dawn." The voice came again. It startled me. It didn't sound like anything, like the voice had never sounded. But I knew I hadn't imagined it. The Voice hadn't sounded like a man or woman. It was a voice. It showed no emotion. How did I know this? Who was it talking to? Was it time for dawn to come? That would be good. This place needed sunlight. Maybe then I could see where I was, and what I was standing in. The dark scared me. I felt something moving in it._

"_Dawn."_

_Why did it keep saying that? Was it talking to someone? Or something? I felt a rush of air on my cheek and I turned around, the soft cotton of my dress rubbing against my knees and my feet never leaving the darkness. My hair blew around my face and the wind picked up. I hadn't noticed any wind before. But, there it was, as if had always been that way. It scared me. Where was I? Why was I here?_

"_Dawn."_

"_Why do you keep saying that?" I asked, my voice ringing out through the silence. The wind had stopped, and the air was still. "Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" I hesitated to ask my most pressing question. "…Who am I?" More silence followed my question. Suddenly, the wind picked up, howling this time, threatening to blow me away. It was then that I realized how very fragile I was in this place. Whatever else was here was ten times as strong as me._

"_Dawn." I whirled around, my hair whipping my face, until I saw something. A pair of glowing red orbs. Eyes. The wind stilled once more, and I found myself unwilling to look away from the eyes. They hypnotized me, captivated my attention and held me in place._

"_Who am I." I whispered monotonously, a statement rather than a question. The eyes bore into me, pouring into my very soul._

"_When the darkness rises…"_

_Those were the last words I heard before the wind began once more, this time with the force of a hurricane. The eyes disappeared and I screamed in terror. I didn't know why I was so scared now that the eyes were gone. But I was. The gales whipped around my body, causing me to scream in silent agony. It hurt. I should have been tossed up into the blackness by now, but something was anchoring me to the ground, keeping me from being cast away and freed from this world. I looked down. My feet were the only things that had so far been unaffected by the hurricane level winds. Realizing that the blackness was what was chaining me to the ground, I lifted up my left foot hastily, trying to free myself. No luck. The blackness just rose up, following my foot like some sticky goop. I screamed again and clawed at the stuff, but my hands passed through it harmlessly. I tried to pull them out, but the darkness just attached itself to my hands now, absorbing more of my body. I shrieked, trying not to fall over with the winds buffeting my figure. I grabbed my right hand with my left, hoping to pull my arm out of the thickening dark. I couldn't see my arms now, or what I could see was obscured, as if looking through a bowl of water. I backed up, the darkness never ending, and tried to pull my feet out once more. It was then that a strong gale forced me to my knees and into the shadow, and it absorbed my lower half just as quickly. I tried to stand up, but found that the stuff was like elastic, pulling me back whenever I tried to get away. I fell onto my elbow and struggled to lift my arm, as the darkness continuously dragged me down like quicksand. No. I wasn't sinking, I realized, but the blackness was rising, absorbing me, but at the same time it _was_ pulling me down as well. I was dragged onto my other elbow, and the darkness nearly reached my chin now. The winds whipped my hair into my eyes, and I couldn't see where I was putting my limbs. Not that I could before. I instinctively reached up to wipe my hair out of my eyes, and realized my mistake at the last second. The darkness attached itself to my forehead and began to pull me down. I screamed once again, terror and horror both clouding my vision. I jerked away and turned my head, only for the stuff to cling to the side of my head as well as my forehead. When I saw the rest of myself, my eyes widened in horror. And when I say the 'saw the rest of myself,' I mean didn't see the rest of myself. I couldn't see anything below my shoulder blades, where the dress began. The weight on my face was getting heavier by the second, and I was forced closer and closer to the blackness. The wind hadn't stopped; in fact, it felt like it was blowing downward now, pushing me down._

_My last thought before I was completely engulfed was how the darkness hadn't changed in the slightest; it was still cold and unbearably soft._

_But not the good kind of soft._

_The kind of soft that would reach up and suffocate you._

* * *

><p>I gasped, my eyes flying open in shock. I gasped for air, my heart racing. Sitting up in my bed, I looked around wildly, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that I was still in the room in the Pokemon Center. I looked down at the soft tan blanket covering me from the waist down, taking in everything from my soft shirt with a sleeping Jigglypuff on it to my Piplup sleeping by my side. Glancing around my room once more, I saw Falon curled up on the opposite bunk, her leg hanging out of the covers and her gray sweats riding up to her knees. Naruto was sleeping on her stomach once again and Shalloe appeared to be sleeping on the top bunk, her head under one wing. Glancing at the digital clock, I noticed that it was only four. I sighed and lay back down, staring up at the wooden bunk above me. I blinked several times in confusion. Why was I so scared again? Did I have a nightmare? I couldn't remember. I sighed in frustration and turned onto my side. Suddenly my eyes became heavy with sleep and I felt myself slipping back under. There was one thing I had to do though, before I fell back asleep… What was it? …Oh yes…<p>

"My name... is Dawn…" I breathed before I drifted off into a deep sleep, free of darkness or wind or glowing red eyes…

* * *

><p><em>Phew! That took me forever! I was going to continue this into the next day, but it is three o' clock in the morning and I am exhausted. I apologize for not finishing this sooner, but the internet has been down in my house, except for the laptop I type this on, so my mother has had to use it to do her work stuff. (She's a teacher, so she constantly relies on her email).<em>

_I would like to inform you that the fall into the river was actually based on an experience of mine when I was a child. It wasn't that glorified, though, and didn't leave any scars. It was kind of scary, though. And no, Dawn's fall won't leave her any scars either._

_I had an urge to write something dark and scary after reading some Edgar Allen Poe earlier, and the dream was the product of it. I'm quite proud of it, actually._

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Right now I haven't quite decided on whether the violin will become a symbol or not, so I guess we'll both see where that goes. I feel the same way about the red-haired lady scene, and I went back and edited it, if you would like to check it out. Thank you for your reviews, and I tried to balance my scenes. Did it work out?_

_The Last Dragonite: Please don't think you've discouraged me in the slightest. You haven't. Really. Thank you so much. And don't worry, I could never discontinue a fanfic, especially when I've already done this much. That would drive me insane. So, I _will_ be finishing this. And thank you once again! And nice new username, though I've said it before._

_Pure Gamer: Why thank you! Compliments on my description are always greatly appreciated. And yes, although I do complain about what a pain it is quite often, I really do love writing this. And, I do try not to rush things, and part of that is taking soooo looong in writing my chapters, so I start fresh everyday, but I try to get in my required number of words. Thank you, I have been feeling a tad better, but I had to visit the doctor again today (I went to him Tuesday) and apparently my cold has escalated into a sinus infection. But I got meds and I'll be taking them for the next week, and by the end of it, I'll be good as new! And you guessed Mars? Heh heh heh… We'll just have to wait and see! Thank you!_

_Wow. I am tired. Off to bed, and if anyone is reading this at three in the morning as well, I implore you to do the same. But if you have the time to review, do that! C'mon, you don't even need an account! Please!_

_I don't own Edgar Allen Poe or any of his works._

_This is the OC submission format for anyone who wants to submit an OC. Please be detailed. The same exact thing can also be found on my Profile Page._

_**Name:** Obvious. The more creative the name, the better!_

_**Gender:** Obvious. You don't need to get creative here..._

_**Age:** Obvious. No one super old or super young, please! Tweens-teens would be nice._

_**Hometown:** City and region._

_**Appearance:** Be detailed. What do they wear and look like? Down to the eye color. How tall are they? Do they wear a belt? Etc._

_**Personality:** Be VERY detailed here. One sentence will not cut it. I want to know things from what their biggest fear is to what their favorite color is. And all the stuff in between. I am taking bad guys/ meanies. They're fun. So don't be afraid to make said character **flawed,** just not over the top._

_**History: **No Stu's or Sue's. And I probably won't take orphans, because more than one would be pitiful. But be detailed in this, as well, though it's not quite as critical._

_**Status:** Trainer? Coordinator? Galactic Member? Breeder? Just a random kid Dawn met in town one day? Etc._

_**Battle Style:** How do they usually fight battles? Do they go for the offensive or defensive moves? Do they strategize or just run in blindly? Also, how many gym badges have they earned? For coordinators, how do they coordinate contests? How many ribbons do they possess? Again: NO STUS OR SUES. I will CRUSH them if they always win, or always lose. I don't go for the sympathetic people, or the brilliant bleepholes that never lose._

_**Pokemon:** Up to six, of course. You can have less than six, too, if you would like. Pokemon from different regions are allowed, though I'd prefer if they not own any Unova Pokemon unless they are from Unova. I'd prefer if I could decide the move set, because I find that easier, but if you're totally set on something, you can put it in there._

_**1.** Species, Nickname (not necessary but I like them), behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

_**2.** Species, Nickname, behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

_**3.** Species, Nickname, behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

_**4.** Species, Nickname, behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

_**5.** Species, Nickname, behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

_**6.** Species, Nickname, behavior, brief past on how they met said trainer, how they stand with that trainer, friendship-wise._

Sincerely,

_Russetwing_


	9. Chapter 8, Part 1

_ANNOUNCEMENT! I am going to be changing the title of this fanfic to Palladium, so mark that down if it's not on alert or something. If you didn't know, Palladium is the substance in Platinum that makes it so expensive and valuable. I think. If I'm wrong, please correct me, because that would be embarrassing. But I like it. What do you think? Also, I am very sorry for not updating in the past two weeks or so. True, I think I've gone longer without updating, but I actually didn't start writing this until about… What time is it? About ten minutes ago. Writer's Block sucks. Even if it is for a very short amount of time. Life has been very… hectic for me the past couple of weeks. So, I turned on my iPod and started listening to every Pokemon Song that I owned to get the creative blood flowing in my brain. I've just realized that Lugia's Song is a big inspirerer (Though that's not a word). Yes. I have Lugia's Song on my iPod. Lots of instrumental songs. But Lugia's Song is just so beautiful. And Oracion, from The Rise of Darkrai._

_But FIVE REVIEWS! The most I've ever gotten for one chapter! I feel pathetic… But, thank you so much to anyone who reviewed!_

_Enjoy, and Happy Very Belated Thanksgiving! And Black Friday, I guess._

_Shoutouts to Rogue Krayt Dragon, The Last Dragonite, just-a-chic, UR PAL, and palad1n!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 8, Part 1~<em>

I opened my eyes that morning with a stinging cheek and a weight on my chest. I craned my head up and saw that said weight was Glacie sleeping on my stomach, much like Naruto had napped on Falon the day before. Maybe something about we humans was really comfortable. Glancing at the clock, I sighed. It was only six. Looking at my friend, I realized that Falon had spread out throughout the night even more. Her head appeared to be where her feet were supposed to be, and practically her whole right side was hanging out of the bed. I giggled softly as I gently moved Glacie from my stomach to the bed. I sat up, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. Looking out the window, I saw that the sun hadn't risen yet, and so I moved into the small bathroom to take a shower. As I entered the tiled room, I looked into the mirror at my mangled reflection.

My face had gotten better overnight, not looking nearly as ragged and monstrous as the day before. The scrape on my cheek was healing nicely, fading to a bright pink color, but at least it wasn't cherry red. The scratches on my chin had scabbed over, but they would be easy to hide with my scarf. My eye was the only thing that possibly looked worse, the dark purple turning into a brown-yellow-blue color. But at least it meant it was healing.

One long, hot shower later, I finished getting dressed and stepped back outside into the room. The sun had barely risen by now, only the first few rays of sunlight bleeding through the night. The alarm clock now said six forty, and I sighed. I wasn't going to be able to wake Falon up any time soon. As I clicked the bathroom door shut behind me, I noticed that Glacie had lazily opened her eyes.

"Shh," I whispered, pressing my index finger to my lips, "Go back to sleep." Nodding sleepily, the tiny Piplup closed her eyes and turned over. Chuckling slightly, I saw that there was nothing to do. Acting on second nature, I grabbed my violin and headed towards the door. I reached towards the doorknob, but thought better of it and quickly scrawled a note to Falon.

_Falon,_

_Even though I'll probably be back by the time you wake up,_ if_ you ever wake up, I've gone downstairs. Good morning!_

_-Dawn_

I nodded in satisfaction and set the note on the table next to the alarm clock. Opening the door, I stepped outside shut it softly with a click. Padding down the corridor, I came to the elevator and pressed the down button. With a ding, the doors slid open and I walked inside.

When I reached the ground floor, I saw that the lobby had cleared out overnight and was practically empty, with the pokemart closed and Nurse Joy sleeping at her desk. Looking around for something to do, I realized that there wasn't anything to do in here, either. Sighing, I walked towards the automatic door and stepped out into the cool morning air.

I shivered slightly and exhaled, white mist billowing out in front of me. October certainly was getting cold. Glancing around, I saw a park across the street. I looked down the empty road and strode into the park. Setting my violin case on a bench, I sat down next to the black leather case and surveyed my surroundings. It was a standard city park, with a grassy square holding a couple of trees and a big fancy fountain in the center of a concrete circle. In the morning, when nobody was up, with the streetlights casting an eerie glow and sunlight peeking out of the skyline, it was quite a peaceful sight. Seeing that nobody was around, I opened up my violin case and gently lifted the sleek mahogany instrument out, cradling it in my arms. I had had the violin since I was seven; it was my dad's last gift to me, before he died. Setting it carefully in my lap, I picked up the bow and placed it next to the violin. Picking said violin back up, I thought it was out of tune, but then remembered that I had tuned it just a few days ago using the tuning pipe my mother owned.

Resting the violin on my collarbone, I once again picked up the bow and coaxed a quick D scale out of the slim instrument. After I had warmed up, I played what I could remember from Bach's Partita No. 2. I frowned as I hit a wrong note and quickly gave up on that song. Reaching back in my mind for some piece of music I hadn't forgotten, I settled for playing another scale. I had stopped taking violin lessons about a year ago, and instead settled for taking my time and teaching myself songs that I was more interested in playing. Thinking back, I recalled a song I had taught myself a couple of weeks ago. Sliding the bow back and forth across the strings, I played a soothing, soft melody that I couldn't remember the name of. I let myself float off into my own little world, where everything was nice and perfect, and all my friends and family were there. Including my father. The music wove in and out of the waking world and my dream world, and I closed my eyes in contentment.

So of course I didn't realize I had company until said person was sitting right beside me.

"That's a beautiful song." I calm feminine voice said, rudely snapping me out of my daydream. My eyes flew open and I stopped playing, wincing when the bow made a painful screech. The girl next to me stood up apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just walking, and I heard you playing, so I figured I'd come over." I blinked a couple of times, not sure if my eyes were fooling me or not.

The girl had cerulean-teal blue hair that fell in perfect curls around her face and cascaded down her back. Most of that hair was kept out of her eyes by a burgundy silk headband. She was wearing a light peach-pink dress with darker pink ruffles on the bottom and a cardigan that was the same dark pink as the ruffles. The sweater was clasped together with a burgundy bow. She had dainty light pink sandals with sweet little kitten heels on. She looked slightly older than me, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. I blinked a couple of times at the sheer amount of pink. It didn't seem overpowering, though. Kind of a mix of princess and preppy.

"Oh… Um… That's all right. I was just startled." I stammered, still a bit jumpy. She smiled at me, and that was when I noticed her eyes. I would say that they were yellow, but that doesn't really describe them. They were more of a soft yellow, like banana-flavored lollipops. Not bright, not dimmed, but soft. Her eyes were warm and kind, and very, very startling.

"My name is Lucille." I blinked, sure I had heard that name before. "Lucy for short."

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I questioned, and Lucy grimaced slightly.

"I think everybody knows me from somewhere," She said ruefully, making me even more confused, "But maybe my last name will help. I'm Lucy Knight." My eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait… Like, _the_ Lucy Knight!" I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. The Knights were one of the richest families in Sinnoh, and not for no good reason. The father, Greggory Knight, sponsored over half of the Pokemon Gyms that were built in the different cities, and rumor had it that he had even paid for the Pokemon League itself to be built. Or, more like refurbished, since the actual building had been around since practically the Stone Age. The mother, Sophia, was her husband's business manager, and constantly brought the family to charity events and such. And then there were the children, Lucy and her younger brother, whose name I couldn't recall. They were, in a word, the gifted children. Although, both were advertised as smart, good-looking, and kind, but only Lucy was ever seen in interviews, or on tv, and her brother was no where to be found. That was probably the reason I forgot who he was. "_The_ Lucy Knight…" I muttered, still in shock. _The_ Lucy Knight had just told me my violin playing was good. That's like Arceus herself coming down from wherever she rests to say, _hey, you did good on your science test._ I mean, sure, I have a well-known mother, but _still._

"Yeah, that's me." She said with a somewhat forced smile. "My family's here on business. So, you mind telling me what your name is?" She asked politely, her smile relaxing, and I practically fell over myself in embarrassment.

"O-oh, yeah. I'm Dawn." I smiled back at her nervously, and she giggled.

"It's nice to meet you, Dawn. And I meant that," She said, nodding towards my violin when she saw my puzzled look, "That was a beautiful song. You play very well."

Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head. "Uh, thank you!" I stated lamely, my nerves still not calming down. My eyes flitted to the horizon and I realized that the actual sun was now peeking from the edge of the skyline. How long had I been outside?

I glanced back at Lucy and noticed that she was staring intensely at me. I raised my eyebrows at her, ad she seemed to snap out of her trance. "Oh… I'm sorry," She said with yet another smile, "Just… _Do_ I know you? You look so familiar." Now it was my turn to frown. She probably saw my mother in me. I've been told by many people that I looked like my mom.

"Well… No. I don't think so." I lied, hesitating when a guilty feeling washed over me. I hadn't technically lied, though, I told myself, because I didn't directly know her. Not really. I just wasn't good with lying, no matter how small the lie.

"Hm…" Lucy looked skeptical for a moment, but the suspicion quickly dissipated. "Well, alright then. Do you live in town?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm passing through. What about you?" She looked mildly surprised for a moment, and I mentally smacked myself in the head. She probably wasn't used to people addressing her so casually. Did my question offend her? I exhaled quietly in relief as she laughed, a bright, tinkling sound that made others want to laugh along with her.

"My family's here on business. We're sponsoring the Poketch giveaway."

I blinked. "Poketch?" Now it was Lucy's time to blink.

"You've never heard of them?" She asked disbelievingly. I shook my head, and she explained. "A Poketch is like a watch, but it has lots of apps, and… Well, I don't really explain it that well. But there's going to be a guy around here later today, handing them out to trainers that can pass a test. Which," She continued when I gave her a puzzled look, "I'm not allowed to talk about. You should consider getting one! They're really useful, I promise."

"Hm…" While I was mulling it over, Lucy looked like she was steeling herself for something, and I glanced at her, a silent question.

"Um… I hope you don't mind me asking," She started, looking embarrassed, "But… What happened to your face?" I blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what she meant, the realization hit me and I smacked my forehead, and winced in pain.

"Oh! It was a bad fall." I told her, a sheepish smile on my face, which Lucy returned, still looking rather puzzled.

"How… Did you fall… On your face?" I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my head, ruffling my deep blue hair.

"It's rather a very complicated long story…" I trailed off, hoping she wouldn't ask any further. She nodded in understanding, much to my relief, and suddenly whirled around, seemingly searching for something.

"Is it really that time already?" She half-shouted while I looked past her, following her line of sight. There was a giant digital clock on the roof of, what looked like, a bank. It read 7:20. Puzzled, I realized I had been out here for forty minutes. Wow.

"I'm sorry," She started, turning back to face me, "But I have to go now. It was nice meeting you," Dipping her head at me, she turned to leave.

"Nice to meet you too," I told her as she stopped and faced me once again.

"Oh, and you really should get a Poketch. After all, it's free!" She started to leave once more and called over her shoulder, "I hope we meet again!" Her form slowly disappeared into the fading shadows. I sat down slowly on the bench, as if I were about to fall over. I sighed deeply, and pondered my brief experience with what was probably the most famous sixteen-year-old in Sinnoh. Was it even real? I sighed again, staring into the ever-brightening sunlight. Suddenly, my eyes felt heavy and a feeling of drowsiness overcame me. Slowly, I packed up my violin case and headed back to the Pokemon Center to take a quick nap, so I hardly noticed when I walked into someone at the entrance to the neon orange building.

"Sorry…" I murmured, not waiting for a reply as I scooted around said stranger and walked into the lobby. Letting out a huge yawn, I made my way slowly upstairs and entered the bedroom, plopping down on my bed, barely allowing myself time to kick off my rainboots and unwind my scarf from around my neck before I drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>"Dawn." I squeezed my eyes closer before squinting slightly, only to see Falon looming over my face. "Dawn." She repeated, not having noticed that I was awake.<p>

"Mmrph." I huffed, pulling my pillow from under my head and onto my face.

"Finally, you're up!" She complained, stepping back to allow me some breathing room.

"What time is it?" I yawned, pushing my pillow aside and swinging my feet out of bed, stretching my arms out.

"10:20… She hesitated, looking back to the clock for conformation. "Three."

"_What?_ That late already!" I yelped, hopping out of bed and reaching for one of my boots, when I stopped and froze.

"Is there a reason you're in such a rush to get up?" Falon questioned, sitting on her bead and patting Naruto's head, who leaned into it gratefully.

"Come to think of it… No." I stood there for a second, pondering what this meant. I always had to wake up in the morning, whether it was for school, or breakfast, or anything, really. But now… "What does this mean?" I turned to my friend, who had climbed up onto the top bunk so that she could sit next to Shalloe.

"This, my friend, means that _you,_ are _free._" I rolled my eyes as she made extravagant gestures with her arms on the words _you_ and _free_.

"Yes, but what does _that_ mean?"

"Well," She took on a thoughtful expression and tapped her chin lightly with her index finger. "It means that you can sleep in. It also means that you can, to an extent, do pretty much whatever you want." I blinked.

"Whatever… I want?" I blinked some more.

"To an extent." I mulled this over in my head.

"That… can't be right." I said, which earned me a hard pat on the back from my friend.

"Ah, but it can. But don't let all that power go to your head. Now!" She said, straightening up and grabbing her pokeballs, "Time for breakfast!"

* * *

><p>"So what do you want?" I asked Falon as we walked down the Jubilife City streets, browsing the different vendors, and other means of fast, cheap food. I counted my money in my hand. I still had a fair amount, but I knew that my cash could run out very quickly if I didn't maintain it carefully. "Something inexpensive, hopefully?" I added, making her grin.<p>

"Something filling. Definitely." Naruto barked from the ground in agreement and Glacie nodded, walking next to him. Shalloe was currently flying overhead, scoping out the landscape and getting accustomed to the new environment. Although, from the way she fidgeted ever so slightly every once in a while, I took it she wasn't very used to crowded places.

"Alright, so, care to elaborate on tha-"

"Hello there, young trainers!" We turned around at the jolly voice to find quite a jolly looking man approaching. He had shiny brown hair plastered back against his head, which would have made him look like a rather slimy business man, except for the cheerful smile on his pudgy face, which definitely made him look more like a slimy business version of, oh, I don't know, Santa. He had a grayish purple suit on, barely fitting around his rather wide body, and an electric blue tie knotted under a gray button-down shirt. All in all, this man's outfit made me slightly green around the edges.

"Um, hello." I said with a shy yet polite smile, "Can we help you?" He nodded eagerly and took a step toward us, and we took a step back.

"_Yes!_ Young trainers- I assume you're trainers- have you heard of a Poketch?" The word captured my curiosity as I recalled the word from my discussion with Lucy. Falon shook her head and gave me a questioning look when I nodded.

"I'll tell you later." I said, and turned my attention back to the man. "So, what about them?"

"Well, today, the Poketch Company is giving out free ones to lucky trainers such as yourself!" He exclaimed, and Falon and I exchanged a glance.

"Well, you see…" She started to reject the offer, looking at me for support, and I turned to the man.

"Sounds like fun!" I told him with a large grin as Falon blinked and gaped at me. "So, what do we have to do?"

"Ah, yes! All you have to do is find three clowns, who will then ask you questions. If you answer them correctly, then they will each give you a coupon. When you have collected all three, bring them back to me, and I will reward you with your very own Poketch!" He was practically bouncing up and down n excitement, and I couldn't help but wonder if he did this on a regular basis.

"Alright then!" I said, hurrying in my speech, because it seemed Falon was getting her voice back. I grabbed her wrist and tore off down the street, leaving the man behind as my friend floundered along behind us.

"Shinx! Shin-shinx shinx." Naruto commented as he jogged along beside us, hardly breaking a sweat. Glacie ran next to him, making a considerably larger effort to keep up with our pace. Suddenly Falon got her feet back and slammed the brakes, shoving her heels into the ground and stopping me in my tracks.

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Explain! I want breakfast! Why are we hunting for Poke-whatsits?" She whined, releasing my wrist. I guiltily rubbed the back of my head, a nervous smile finding its way onto my lips.

"Poketch's. And, well, I thought it'd be fun. Plus, I've heard those Poketch's are useful." I explained, forgetting to mention how exactly I knew about them.

"But… breakfast?" Falon protested weakly, pouting pitifully down at me. It must have looked funny to passerby.

"We can get it on the way." I said, earning an excited "Yes!" from my companion. "But right now, we have three clowns to find in the second biggest city in Sinnoh."

"But… I don't want to!" She whined some more, making me roll my eyes.

"C'mon, it won't be that hard."

"… I got an idea." She said, a sly look in her eyes. "We'll decide what to do, fairly." I looked at her in interest, my eyebrows raised.

"What would that be?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Let's have a battle. Me, Naruto, and Shalloe, against you and Glacie. If you win, we go find the clowns and get our Pokems. If I win, we go have breakfast." I narrowed my eyes, weighing my options. Oh, well. It seemed as if there really was only one, after all.

"You're on." I said, and a coy smile crept its way up Falon's face. A feeling of dread welled up inside of me as I prepared for my second battle. I looked at Glacie, and we shared a look of pure determination. Shalloe swooped down from the sky and landed softly on Falon's shoulder. I swallowed.

This certainly wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

><p><em>Ah, we'll see, Dawn, when I finish this chapter. I made this Part 1 because I wanted to continue it into the next day, but I'm way too tired. I'm soooo sorry for not updating in nearly three weeks, and this chapter may be very bad, but it was my rebound chapter. I'll write the second half the tomorrow, maybe, cause I think that I'm getting myself back on track.<em>

_I may not have mentioned this before, so I'll say it now clearly. First off, Dawn and Falon are both fourteen, but Falon is a month or so younger. Falon's also taller than Dawn by a couple of inches, which I find very funny. You know, I think of Falon as the muscle of the group, and Dawn the brains/leader. Haha._

_Reviewer responses:_

_The Last Dragonite: Why, thanks! And, don't worry, not all of Dawn's captures will go that way. Not ALL of them, at least…_

_palad1n: Thanks. That scene, it was based off of an experience of mine, and it certainly was interesting that time too. And… Well… I'm not really sure myself if it was Darkrai or not… I really need to plan these things out more, you know? It'll give me less vulnerability to Writer's Block, which I have had the displeasure of experiencing for the past… oh, I don't know, what feels like an eternity. But thanks for reviewing!_

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Why, thanks! I liked that chapter the best, as well. And, thanks! I would have put more detail into the city, but by that time, it was, oh, I don't know how late, so I didn't really put much thought into it. Honestly, the shady characters were just an excuse to get the girls into the Pokemon Center and end the chapter. But, there will be a couple more chapters spent in Jubilife, so I could go into detail later on. I'm also glad I'm not the only fan of Poe out there, because everyone else I know doesn't like him, because we read A Tell Tale Heart one day for school, which apparently didn't appeal to them. Which I can understand. But, I'm glad I'm not the only one! Thanks!_

_just-a-chic: Thanks for reviewing! And yes, I do know that eventually, sometime, I'm going to butt heads with a hater. Everyone does, eventually, I think. I count myself lucky that I haven't run into one so far, and it's reviews like yours that keep me going. Besides, like I said, if I ever do run into a hater, all I'll have to do is read my other wonderful reviews, which will surely cheer me up! Don't worry, I'm gonna see this thing through to the end._

_UR PAL: Thanks! I try to make this fic good! And, I hope you don't find this weird, but I feel honored that you would suffer by me not updating. If that makes sense. But the very thought that people are unhappy that I don't update makes _me_ so happy! Again, I hope that doesn't sound weird, and thanks!_

_Phew. Tired. Bed. Sleep. Wake up. Write second part. Hopefully. And, yeah, Lucy will play a larger spat in the fic. But, later, so don't worry about her now. And, I'll get to all of those in-game experiences-thingys. Eventually. Don't worry!_

_Night!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	10. Chapter 8, Part 2

_Hey there! I finally finished Part 2! So, let's get down to business! (To defeat the Huns)_

_Sorry. I love Mulan._

_Many of my reviews brought up the fact that there haven't been many (take away the m and you've got a punch to my ego ) battles since the one with Barry, and that was like, a gazillion years ago. But I will fix that! The last few chapters were pretty much me setting it all up and getting everything ready, and I have plans for more battles. Don't worry!_

_I have a poll up on my profile. A silly one. The question: I'm bored. Do you like llamas? The choices: Yes, No, or What's a llama? One person has answered Yes, and another has answered What's a llama? I think that's a joke, but just in case…_

_Llama: Noun. A woolly-haired South American ruminant of the genus Lama, believed to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco: often used as a beast of burden. ()_

_Yes. That is the definition of llama. I hope this helps, whoever you are._

_Also, you might see some in-anime locations in this fic, because I was laying in bed last night, and thinking about where I could go with this fic. How to, make it different from all the other Platinum novelizations. So, naturally, this morning I went on Bulbapedia, and I looked up Sinnoh. And, voila, there was a chart of in-anime locations, and I felt like I had just won the lottery. There won't be so many towns, or anything, but you might see a couple of anime places here or there. Nothing purple._

_Enjoy!_

_Shoutouts to UR PAL (x3), Pure Gamer, Rogue Krayt Dragon, palad1n, and The Last Dragonite!_

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><p><em>~Chapter 8, Part 2~<em>

"Go, Shalloe! Your first battle!" Falon called from across the field we had found. Shalloe fluttered out into the middle ground, facing Glacie, a determined look on her face. I swallowed nervously. This was my second battle, ever, and I knew that it wouldn't be easy. Glacie and I were new to the Pokemon world, whereas Falon had had Naruto for six months. Sure, she wasn't qualified to be a veteran quite yet, but she still had much more experience than I. "You can have the first move." Falon shouted, and I nodded.

"Glacie… Use Pound!" I ordered, deciding to use the winning move of my first battle.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" Falon instructed, and I watched as Glacie propelled herself, aiming for the bird Pokemon, but Shalloe quickly pushed herself off of the ground with a powerful beat of her wings and whirled around in the air, becoming a blur as she swooped down and knocked Glacie to the ground in one movement.

"Good! Now, get back in the air!" I could have sworn that Shalloe smiled at Falon's praise, and flew back up, hovering in the air about thirty feet off the ground as Glacie picked herself back up.

"You alright?" I asked her, and she nodded sharply before turning her attention back to the situation at hand. "Um…" I hesitated, realizing that Pound wasn't going to work with Shalloe rising to forty feet.

"Use Growl," Falon cut in before I had a chance to think of a move. I watch as the Starly closed in on the ground, yet still staying out of range, and let out an ear-splitting cry. I winced as the volume attacked my ears, and Glacie stumbled for a split second, which was apparently enough for my opponent. "Now use-" With another squawk, Shalloe's wings began to glow, and with a single wing-beat, she dove towards the ground in a brown and gray blur, not giving Falon a chance to complete her instruction.

Glacie straightened up, and barely had time to move an inch to the right when the Starly careened into her, sending her spinning off to the side. Shalloe lighted down softly onto the grass not far away and shook out her wings. Falon blinked at the unexpected move and pulled her Pokedex seemingly out of nowhere to check said move. "Wing Attack… All right then. Great job!"

"Glacie! Are you okay?" I shouted, wanting to rush to my Piplup's side, but contained myself, knowing it was against the rules of a Pokemon Battle to assist your Pokemon other than using healing items. Wait…

My eyes widened and I hastily set my bag down on the ground, opening the zipper. "Time out! Glacie, come here!" I plunged my hand deep into my duffel, searching for the smooth plastic of a spray bottle. I heard a shifting sound, and turned my head to see my trusty blue Pokemon tottering towards me, a large lump forming on her head and several scrapes on her right flipper/arm. A horrible feeling of guilt welled up inside of me as I surveyed her wounds. Yet, she had on a strangely determined expression on, as if her injuries didn't bother her one bit. "C-c'mon…" I said in a soothing whisper, petting her head as I pulled out one of my potions, sunlight glinting off of the purple plastic. "I think this might sting a bit… Hold out your… Flipper." I added, as I was about to call Glacie's right appendage an arm.

She did so obediently, and I lightly spritzed her cuts with the clear, clean smelling solution. She grimaced, which I mimicked in sympathy. "Are you okay?" I asked, watching her blink a couple of times and nod. She glanced at her arm and her eyes widened in surprise. I looked at her arm as well, to find her cuts closing at an astounding rate. In just ten more seconds, there was never any evidence of her wounds at all. Blinking we looked at each other, and I smiled. "Wonderful." I sprayed her head as well, to clear the lump, and watched in satisfied fascination as it shrank until the bruise was no more.

"You good to go?" I stood up and was answered by an eager nod.

"Piplup piplup pip!" She answered, and leapt out onto the battlefield once more.

"Time in!" I shouted to Falon, though it was pretty unnecessary, since her attention had been on me the whole time.

"Okay. Shalloe! Into the air!"

"Not so fast! Glacie, use Growl!" At once, Glacie let out an intimidating growl/squawk sort of noise, and Shalloe faltered in the air, falling about seven feet, getting closer and closer to the ground. "Now! Attack!" I could have hit myself. Anyone knows that you can't give such a vague order to a Pokemon during a battle, because then the Pokemon wouldn't know what to do.

Yet, I watched as Glacie, without hesitation, leaped as high as she possibly could into the air, opened her beak, and let out a stream of bubbles, each one easily as big as my hand, that flew at Shalloe, hitting her in all directions, and causing her to fall to the ground in a heap. Glacie landed on both feet and looked at me, expecting me to say something. Speechless, I opened my Pokedex and scanned my Piplup.

"Bubble…" I trailed off, looking from my Pokemon to my Pokedex. "Okay then. Great job!" A feeling of triumph welled up in me as I looked proudly at my Pokemon, who stood up straighter with a haughty look on her face. "Well!" I shouted to Falon, who was trying to encourage her fallen Starly to get back up, "Looks like both our teams are learning things today!" She looked at me dryly, proving that she didn't find my joke very funny. She glanced at her Pokemon again, and began encouraging Shalloe once more.

When I looked back, I saw that Shalloe had picked herself back up once more, and was flapping her wings.

"Oh, no you don't! Glacie, use Bubble!"

"Shalloe! Wing Attack!" We both shouted orders at the same time, and our Pokemon unleashed their attacks ruthlessly at each other.

I watched as Glacie let loose another torrent of bubbles right as Shalloe's wings began to glow, and she sped towards the penguin Pokemon in a blur. The two forces collided, and bubbles started exploding as soon as Shalloe's wings touched them, sending dust everywhere. Falon and I leaned forward, anticipating the outcome.

The smoke finally cleared, parting ways, to reveal…

A slightly shaky Piplup and an unconscious Starly.

"Yes!" I shouted, jumping up and down as Falon let out a sigh and withdrew her fallen Pokemon.

"Hey!" Falon's sharp voice caught my attention, "We're not through yet! Naruto, your turn!"

"Shinx!" The small blue Pokemon answered, racing out eagerly to meet Glacie, who was blinking dust out of her eyes.

"Alright. You can have the first move this time," I offered, and she nodded in agreement.

"Naruto! Use…" She flicked open her Pokedex for a moment and looked back up. "Use Charge!" Suddenly, Naruto's blue fur began to glow with electricity and sparks leapt of his fur. His pelt rippled, and I saw how much muscle and power the small Pokemon really packed.

"Glacie, use Bubble!" I instructed once again. And, once again, bubbles started flying towards the Shinx, but Naruto swiftly jumped to the right, and the bubbles flew right past him.

"Leer!" She called, and Naruto stilled, glaring at Glacie. But… something about his eyes was off. His normal golden yellow irises had faded to black, and his pupils had shrunk. He lowered his head and crouched down into a poised position, and Glacie stilled, seemingly frozen for a moment. Even I felt frozen in place. It was a strangely frightening sight, even if Naruto was usually small, cute, and loving.

"Glacie, snap out of it!"

"Now use Spark!" Falon and I once again shouted our instructions at the same time, but Falon had the upper hand. Suddenly, the sparks that had just calmed down on Naruto's fur came back to life, leaping and jumping higher, crackling with static. He raced toward my Piplup, a ball of electricity forming before him.

"Glacie! MOVE!" I screamed once more, and Glacie finally snapped out of daze long enough to see that a now large ball of electricity was only a few feet away. Without giving her a chance to dodge, Naruto gave a push with his head and flung the electricity ball at my Piplup. It collided with her and sent dust and smoke flying everywhere once again.

When it all cleared, I saw Naruto, standing proudly in the battleground, next to one very, very unconscious Glacie.

"Glacie! Are you okay?" I ran over to her, more worried about my Pokemon than the fact that I had lost.

Reaching her, I scooped her up in my arms, and she weakly opened her eyes, giving me a smile.

"Piplup-pip!" Seeing my devastated expression, she did the best she could to cheer me up, and, smiling once again, I got her pokeball.

"You did great. Maybe next time, okay?" I assured her as she disappeared in a flash of red light. I was partly ashamed of myself because I hadn't even spared the time to give her another potion before the end of the battle. Maybe if I had, she wouldn't have lost.

"Shinx?" Naruto approached me, unsure if that was okay or not.

"You did great too, Naruto." I sighed as Falon walked over, a triumphant expression on her face.

"I win." She stated, a smile on her face.

"I know," I replied sullenly.

"Hey, don't worry. It was only one battle. Plus, you're new." She paused to think, "Then again, so am I. I haven't had many battles, though I _have_ had more than you. But you did really well. You'll get better. Everyone does." She assured me with a smile, and my heart lightened almost instantly.

"Right." She began, "So… Breakfast?"

* * *

><p>About a half an hour later, our Pokemon were healed, fed, in their pokeballs, and Falon and I were sitting in a sweet little pancake house on Main Boulevard, the biggest and widest avenue in Sinnoh, supposedly. So, naturally, we were having pancakes. Or, more like, I was watching in awe as Falon snarfed down orders after orders of Jumbo Jack's Pancake Stacks by the dozen.<p>

"Where do you _put _that much food?" I asked her incredulously, blinking several times. She glanced up at me, her mouth glued shut by syrup, shrugged, and went back to her pile.

"I'm hungry." She stated plainly, her voice barely audible through all of the food shoved into her mouth.

"_Present tense_ hungry? _Still?_" My voice rose in disbelief, "How! You've been eating since we got here, and that was _twenty minutes ago!_" Again, she shrugged.

"Well, why not? _I'm _not paying." I froze at this, turning slowly to face my friend, who had sensed the change and was looking at me once more, her cheeks stuffed with food.

"…I beg your pardon?" I asked in a wavering voice. "You're expecting me to pay for this?" She nodded carefully and swallowed her large mouthful.

"Well, you see, most trainers give the winning opponent money after they lose a battle. But, I figured, it would be easier to just have you pay for breakfast instead." She informed me nonchalantly as my panic level rose, spearing another layer of pancake with her fork and stuffing it in her mouth.

"_What?_ So you're telling me I have to give people money whenever I lose a battle? How do I even know you're telling me the truth? Hm? How do I know you're not just trying to get me to pay for _all this?_" I finished skeptically, gesturing wildly with my hands at the stack of cleaned plates next to Falon, and she rose an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, ladies?" A waiter asked us kindly, appearing at our table.

"No, we'll have the check," I glared at Falon, who grinned at me.

Five minutes later, the waiter brought us the check inside a tiny closed gray folder, and I sat there, staring at it, thinking that maybe, just maybe, if I kept staring at it, it would magically go away. Finally giving up, I sighed heavily and carefully opened the booklet.

And nearly passed out.

* * *

><p>"That's it. I'm broke." I complained once again as we walked through a park, different from the one I went to that morning. Falon patted me on the back to console me, but I was pretty much inconsolable by that point. Not to mention that she was the main reason I had little to no money left. "I'm not going to be able to eat, and then I'm gonna die." I muttered, and glanced up to see that she was smiling. "What's so funny?" I retorted, slightly insulted that she would find my predicament smile-worthy.<p>

"Well, you're not in as big of a bind as you make yourself out to be." I looked at her curiously, and she explained. "All you have to do is beat some other trainers in a battle and get the money back!"

I furrowed my brows, arguing internally within myself. "But… that seems mean." I voiced my worries, and she sighed and patted me on the back.

"It's how trainers get their money." I glanced to the side, and stopped walking. Falon halted as well, and turned to me curiously.

"Look." I said, pointing to a road branching off of the sidewalk. In it, standing out from all the other pedestrians, was a pudgy man in a yellow and purple polka-dotted costume with a white ruffled collar, reminding me of pictures I'd seen of Shakespeare. He had giant purple shoes on where his feet should be and a big red nose. The look was finished with a tipped yellow and purple hat with a white pom-pom on the end. "A… Clown?" I headed over to said clown, Falon close on my heels.

"Um… Excuse me… Mr. Clown?" He turned to me, and I began to fidget, my timid side coming out, "Would you happen to be one of the clowns giving out Poketch coupons?" Falon stepped up next to me as he grinned and nodded.

"That's right! You found me! Now, does a Pokemon grow by defeating others in battle and receiving lots of love from their trainers?" Falon and I glanced at each other and we both nodded.

"That's correct! Here you go!" The clown joyfully exclaimed and handed us each an orange coupon and carried on his merry way, leaving us standing on the sidewalk. I looked at my friend.

"This is going to be easier than I thought." I said, making Falon smile as we reentered the boulevard.

* * *

><p>We found clown number two in front of the Jubilife TV Broadcasting Station, although we couldn't take credit for our surveillance skills, since it was pretty hard to miss a red-clad clown towering ten feet above a crowd on stilts. Falon and I exchanged a glance and looked back at the large group of people surrounding the clown, who was looking like he was having the time of his life.<p>

I shrugged and shoved my way through person after person and finally made it to the edge of the circle where the clown was walking in.

"Excuse me!" I shouted above the clamber of voices. The man surveyed the crowd, probably looking for the trainer that called on him. I timidly raised my hand halfway and the clown finally noticed me, grinning, as Falon finally appeared at my side.

"Jeez, those people are _merciless_." She complained, brushing some make-believe dirt off of her vest. I smiled and turned my head to face the clown once again.

"Um, could I-"

"Can a Pokemon hold an item?" The clown crowed, cutting me off.

"If it has arms, sure!" Falon answered before I had a chance, making the clown blink, his red cap flopping into his face. A thoughtful expression on his face, he shrugged and nodded, an ecstatic grin once again on his face.

"Yay! Correct! Coupons, coupons, coupons!" He shouted, taking his hands off his stilts -not falling, miraculously- and plunging his hands into his pockets, pulling out dozens upon dozens of coupons and casting them into the air like orange confetti. "Coupons for everyone!"

That was like setting a bomb off. People were scrambling everywhere, trainers and pedestrians alike, to get a ticket of their own. Falon and I easily snatched one each out of the air and ran from the havoc as fast as we could.

* * *

><p>Clown number three was harder to spot; that being, she was hiding behind a bush in front of the Poketch Company building itself.<p>

Adorned in a purple and green polka-dotted suit with a white ruffle collar much like the first clown's, this woman had a pointy purple hat, a red nose, and quite red cheeks, as well. She gave off an overall vibe of _I really really really don't want to be here._ Falon and I exchanged yet _another _glance, this one saying _Not another weird one._

"Uh…" I trailed off, not sure of what to say this time. But, thankfully, Falon came to my rescue.

"Excuse us, bu-" She was interrupted when the clown whirled around, startled, and slapped her hands over our mouths.

"…Ah bveg ure parfom?" My friend's muffled voice sounded from behind the woman's white-gloved hand and she was quickly shushed.

"Do you _want _people to see me?" She whispered frantically, and released us, taking shelter behind her bush once more. "I'm too dignified for this," She muttered to herself, and, realizing we could hear her, added, "A renowned scientist, resorting to _this_ to get overtime…"

"Um…" I began, unsure, "We were wondering if you could-"

"Here! Take them! Just go! And _I was never here._" She told us threateningly, shoving two coupons in our faces and scuttling behind a tree.

"That…" I began, dumbfounded, staring at my collection of coupons.

"Was _too_ easy." Falon finished for me.

* * *

><p>"Here you go!" Falon and I both exclaimed, holding out our six combined tickets as the Poketch CEO stared at them, dumbstruck.<p>

"But… I only saw you two… Little over an hour ago… Impossible…" He stammered, dropping the briefcase he was now carrying.

"Well, we saw all three clowns, and we got a ticket from each of them, so we get our Poketches!" Falon shoved her three coupons under the poor man's nose.

"Well…" The man opened his briefcase and grudgingly held out two watch-like gizmos, one hot pink and one sky blue.

"Oh! I call the blue one!" Falon snatched it up before I could protest, and I calmly took the pink one. I weighed it in my hand and looked it over.

It was medium sized, as far as watches go, with a green-lit screen surrounded by white plastic. There were three pink buttons on the surface, two on the right and one on the left. A pink rim surrounded the hard top material, and the flat top was at least three-fourths a centimeter thick. With a smooth black band with a pink stripe running through it, tying the look together, the watch had a very modern and sleek look.

I fixed it to my right wrist and held it out, seeing how it looked. Glancing to my friend, I saw that she was already fiddling with her Poketch, pressing the buttons and testing everything out.

"Each Poketch comes with apps," The man explained, "With you can go through with the two buttons on the right side. Each app has a different purpose, and you can download more if you meet someone with an app you don't have. On these special models," He started, getting that greasy businessman look, "We have a special feature, and you can now use this app," he pressed a button on both our watches and a screen with a key board pooped up, "You can communicate through IM-ing. All you have to do is register the other's code. Codes are on the back of the Poketch. Now, I bid you good day." He finally finished, seeming relieved and hurried off to pitch his campaign to yet another trainer.

Falon and I glanced at each other and shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: <strong>Hey what time is it?

**Falon:** I don't know, look at the time.

**Me:** Oh. Noon.

**Falon:** Really? It feels like it should be later.

**Me:** Right?

At the moment, Falon and I were fiddling with our new Poketches, trying out the IM-ing app, and sending each other messages while sitting next to each other on a park bench. Ten minutes ago, when the Poketch guy left, we did as he said and registered ourselves, and since, we hadn't spoken a word to each other. Verbally, at least.

**Falon: **I'm hungry.

**Me:** I'm NOT paying.

* * *

><p>"Do they have human food here?" I asked Falon as we browsed the isles of the Pokemart, looking for cheap food.<p>

"I'd guess so… But I'm not so sure." I picked up a can of vegetable juice and set it back down on the shelf in distaste.

"Hey, Dawn!" I heard someone call my name from the Pokemon Center side of the building, and turned towards the noise. A boy wearing a white scarf, similar to mine, and a red beret jogged up to greet me with a smile.

"Lucas! Hi, how are you?" I asked politely, earning a nod from the boy. Across the isle, Falon noticed I had company and came to join us.

"Hi, Lucas."

"Hi, guys. Whoa." He took on a slightly alarmed expression, "What happened?" I realized he was talking about my mauled face, and shook my head as an answer. "Oh... Uh, have you been catching Pokemon? I'm supposed to tell the Professor the progress you guy are making. So?" Falon grinned and held up her two pokeballs. I sighed and shook my head once more.

"That's it? Only one Pokemon caught between the two of you? Wow… Well, all I can say is that you should catch some more soon." He informed us. "Oh! And the upper level of the Pokemon Center is now open! I heard it was some revolutionary thing, or something. Anyways, I have to go now. See you later!" He waved goodbye and left the pokemart, heading for the exit.

As he walked out of the building, Falon paid for our microwaveable meals –which we had thankfully found a stock of- and we headed into the lobby to sit and rest.

"Hey, why don't we check that out?" I suggested, gesturing to the upper level of the lobby. Falon shrugged.

"Okay." We climbed the stairs to see one long desk sectioned into three parts, with a nurse- not Joy- behind each of them. In each segment was a sliding metal door that was rimmed with a blue light. I walked up to the center desk, which had a turnstile on the left side.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Wireless Club Union Room," The woman said cheerfully, "You may interact directly with other trainers from around the globe!"

"How does that work?" Falon went straight to the point, not bothering to say hello.

"Well, we're trying out a new piece of technology, and, you see the door behind me?" We nodded, "Well, scientists have just figured out a way to transport people to different locations when you step through this door." Falon eyed the woman skeptically, and I couldn't blame her. It was a sketchy theory. "And you can battle, and trade, and just converse!" The nurse finished, slightly less confident than before. "Well?"

"How?" I asked curiously.

"Well, it's rather complicated, but it works in a way similar to transporting pokeballs from one place to another. When you step through the door, your atoms are dispelled and sucked into a small machine, where they are sent to the Union Room location as if you were a Pokemon being sent to a PC. It's very quick, don't worry. Like you're blinking."

"I'd like to see this for myself." Falon gave in, glancing at me for support. I shrugged.

"Alright. What do we have to do?"

"Nothing! And don't worry, really! It's ninety-nine percent safe. Now, come back here." She pressed a button on the turnstile and it withdrew into the desk, allowing Falon and I to step through.

"So what's that other one percent?" I asked as the lady pressed a number on a keypad and the door slid open to reveal a white room the size of a broom closet.

"It's irrelevant. Nothing will go wrong. If you'll just step in here, oh, and we'll need your stuff to be sent over. It could interfere with the system and send you to who-knows-where." I gave her my duffel bag and she gestured for me to enter the closet, which I did, if somewhat reluctantly. I turned back just as the doors were closing to see Falon removing her Poketch.

"Oh, wai-" The door slid closed with a beep, and I turned around in the small space. I heard a click, and glanced up, to where the noise was coming from. A small circular device had descended from the ceiling. The material was black, and shiny enough that I could see my reflection in it.

"A… Camera?" I murmured to myself, a feeling of dread growing inside of me. "Um… Hello? I forgot to take off my Poketch." I called rather timidly, wondering if I was even talking to anyone. A light protruded form the side of the camera. It flashed once, and I blacked out.

* * *

><p>And woke up in, what seemed like a few seconds later. I sat up, the lush green world swirling before me.<p>

Wait…

Lush, green world? I blinked fast, clearing my eyes, and stood up shakily. Surrounding me was _not _what I would call a Union Club Room-whatever it was called. Towering evergreens reached for the sky everywhere I looked, and flowering shrubbery grew thick on the ground. A warm breeze wafted past my ears, rustling the leaves and creating a vibrant, low hum. The whole place gave off a peaceful and calm vibe.

"Am I… dead?" I pinched myself to make sure. Ow. "No… Not dead…" I glanced at my Poketch, which had shorted out and was covered in soot.

"Wonderful." I said to no one in particular, thinking back to that morning, when I had told myself it was going to be a long day. I sighed.

Looks like I was right…

* * *

><p><em> Okay, just a couple of things I want to go over and apologize about.<em>

_First of all, please try and ignore the fact that Falon is becoming a Mary Sue. I'll try and fix that as soon as possible._

_Second, yes, yes, I know that the Union Room thing is VERY farfetched, but I REALLY needed a way to get Dawn into that forest. It's VERY important. You'll see. And, c'mon, it's suspicious even in the games. Rooms THAT BIG right next to each other? Please._

_Sorry I didn't get this out sooner, you can blame Photoshop, Pokemon Ranger, and Cubefield for that. Recently, I've been practicing more with coloring in Photoshop, and I've spent much of my free time this past week working on it. On the bright side, I can see myself improving! But as of right now, I never want to see another whirlpool, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, or Lugia ever again. So. Many. Lugias. I made so many of them only because they're so easy to color. Shading… Not so much. I got Pokemon Ranger again yesterday as an early Christmas present from my mom, because I sold mine several years ago, and have regretted it ever since. Cubefield explains itself. If you haven't played it before, _play it.

_Oh, and I used the Unova Pokemon Center design, in case anyone noticed. I thought it would make more sense, since Jubilife is one of the biggest cities in Sinnoh._

_I find it hilarious that the way you get money in the games is by stealing fellow trainers' and childrens' money._

_Apparently, the Pokemon World has Shakespeare._

_I'll get to the last of the Jubilife in-game stuff in the next chapter._

_I liked writing the battle. It was fun. Expect more._

_Reviewer Responses:_

_UR PAL: To review #1, sorry, maybe happy wasn't the right word… More like guilty, actually. But I do feel honored that you like my fanfic. Review #2, Sorry! Review #3, Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! I hope you liked this chapter so that you can forgive me!_

_palad1n: I feel the same. I tried to make this one move a bit faster, and I hope you enjoyed the battle. And, yes, she will. I said that in the last chapter, or so I thought, because when I went back and looked, it said she will have an important spat in the fic. Sorry, I meant part. Don't really know how I got spat, though…_

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Thank you! That means a lot, since I don't play the violin, or even know any strings terminology. And, yes, I was hungry too, when I wrote that. I was very hungry when Falon was eating pancakes. When I'm hungry, I noticed, I write scenes with food in them._

_Pure Gamer: It's only slow because I'm getting all of that tutorial stuff for Dawn out of the way as fast as I can. And also, if something seems slow or drags on, it's probably because it'll be important. Plus, this fic is going to be pretty long, at the rate I'm going! Oh, jeez, this is going to take me _forever… _But thank you!_

_The Last Dragonite: Y'see, on a random note, Legendary's genders confuse me. It says Lugia is genderless in the Pokedex, yet it speaks to Ash with a male voice, and then there's Silver's _Mom… _Confusing. But back on topic, yes, she does, doesn't she? And I agree that it's been lacking, but I like writing battles, so I'll try and add more in. I hope the battle suited your need for violence._

_Alright! There we go._

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_

_P.S. I hate to say this, but this might be my last update before Christmas. My mom and I are leaving Thursday for Kentucky, because we spend Christmas there with my aunt every year. I might be able to type the chapter in the car, so I hope I'll be able to get it up, but don't be surprised if there isn't another update before Christmas is over._

_So, in that case, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah –even though it might have already passed, I'm not sure-, Happy Kwanza, and all that good stuff!_


	11. Chapter 9

_Hey there! Okay, just to let you know, I got an iPad and I'm still getting used to typing on a portable keyboard, so bear with me here. I'm also using a thing called Pages, which is like Word, but different. So, beware and forgive me for my grammatical errors, and auto corrects. There's bound to be a lot of them, considering the fact that I'm writing a Pokemon fanfic. And, you know, what with the fact that the keyboard apparently doesn't include the spell check stuff, so I'm constantly making mistakes that I'm not aware of._

_Just so you know, the after the first and fifth line breaks it becomes Falon's point of view, but then switches back to Dawn's._

_Here we go._

_Enjoy!_

_Shoutouts to The Last Dragonite(x2), palad1n, UR PAL, Alphinia(x2), Bradley8155, mangaanimefan4eva, and Pure Gamer!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 9~<em>

"This just _had _to happen," I commented sarcastically to no one in particular. "Because _everything _that can go wrong, _will._" I recited Murphy's law ruefully, kicking a pebble aside. I sat down on the ground in a huff, and took to wiping off my useless Poketch. As I rubbed the last of the soot off of the screen, I pressed the on button hopelessly. Much to my surprise, after shooting out a couple of sparks, the screen filckered on, casting a dim green glow over my wrist. You'd expect me to be happy about this, no? Or excited? Yeah, think again.

"_So,_ you have the gall to send me to the middle of _freaking nowhere,_ yet you don't have the decency to even break properly so that I can get the warranty!" I yelled at it, and I began to question my sanity. Perhaps that camera thingy screwed up my brain when they put my molecules back together. Once my Poketch decided to get itself together, the clock blinked on, if very faintly, reading 12:56. I wondered if Falon had arrived at the Union Room thing safely. She must have been out of her mind. And probably pretty upset at some nurse.

A faint beep aroused me from my thoughts, and I glanced around to see what had caused it. It came again, and this time I looked down at my watch. I flipped through the various apps, until I finally came to the IM-ing app, when I saw that I had five new messages from Falon. I wonderful surge of hope welled up inside of me as I realized that I could contact my friend.

**Falon: **Did it work? Are you there?

**Falon:** Dawn, what the heck happened? Are you in the Union Room?

**Falon: **Am I in the right room? There are lots of trainers here, but I don't see you...

**Falon:** Umm... The people here said that a girl matching your description never entered the place, are you even here?

**Falon: **Dawn, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!

My smile turned to a frown, and then a grimace as I read her plainly worried messages. Guilty that I frightened my friend, I quickly tapped a message in with my finger.

**Dawn:** Hey, sorry to scare you, but my Poketch screwed up the transport thingy and I'm in a forest somewhere.

I waited a full, excruciating minute before I got a reply.

**Falon: **MEW DANGIT DAWN, YOU HAD ME WORRIED OUT OF MY MIND! AND NOW YOU TELL ME YOU'RE IN SOME FOREST! NOW I'M IN FREAKIN HEARTHOME OR SO THEY TELL ME, AND YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE! THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS TELL ME WHAT FREAKING FOREST YOU'RE IN!

As I read her message, I couldnt help but laugh at the somewhat comical tone of her reply. There were a couple of other words in her frustrated IM, but I wasn't about to repeat them. At least, not without a bar of soap to wash my mouth out with afterwards.

"Alright... Where am I," I murmured to myself as I flitted through my apps, looking for something that would give me a clue as to where I was. Miraculously, I found a map of Sinnoh with a blinking dot in the lower left-hand corner, right above where Twinleaf Town would be. "Wait..." I grinned to myself in spite of the situation. If my Poketch was right, then I was in the forest on the opposite side of Verity Lake, but I couldn't recall the name.

"Natu." A strange inhuman voice startled me, and I glanced around wildly. As I stared in front of myself once more, realization hit.

"Yeah, that's right!" I shouted triumphantly, "Xatu Forest! Thank you, mysterious voice from beyond!"

"Natu." Blinking and realizing that it wasn't some mysterious voice from beyond, I stood up and glanced up at the trees above me. In one of the top most branches sat a spherical green Pokemon, staring at me with beady yellow almond-shaped eyes. Brightly colored yellow and red circular wings with thick black stripes protruded from its side. It suddenly pushed off of the trunk with spindly red three pronged feet and glided to the ground, red crest flapping in the breeze.

I frowned. Weren't Natu indigenous to the Johto region? Shaking my head, I quickly tapped in an IM to Falon.

**Dawn:** Apparently, I'm in Xatu Forest.

**Falon: **Whaaaat? Seriously?

**Dawn:** Yep.

"Natu." After getting no response, I turned my attention to the bird that was now standing next to me.

"What do you want?" I asked it, if only to humor myself. Surprisingly, I immediately felt a tug in my mind, and it only grew stronger when I glanced at the round ball of feathers. Those piercing eyes bored into me, unnerving my senses. I quickly looked away, disturbed. I recalled that Xatu Forest was known for its many Psychic type Pokemon, and was off-limits to the public for the danger that may befall innocent citizens who wander into its depths. I'd also heard of many people with a phobia of Psychic Pokemon. I think I finally understood that fear. If a Pokemon as small and seemingly harmless as a Natu could delve into my head like that, who's to say what a Pokemon like Alakazam could do?

I spared a furtive look back at the Natu, who tilted its head, or, entire body, at me, in a way that reminded me of Slowpokes. The expression on its face really made it look like the green bird possessed no intelligence whatsoever. That tug reentered my mind, and I felt myself being willed to go somewhere, deeper into the forest.

"So," I said dryly to the Pokemon, "I guess this means you want me to follow you, right?" I got no response, until the Natu turned around and swiftly began hopping farther into the woods. "Guess that's a yes..." I muttered, standing up and following the tiny Pokemon into the unknown.

* * *

><p>I was majorly ticked off.<p>

Especially at that dumb nurse.

I mean, come on! Who the heck doesn't know how to ask people if they have any other electronic devices that could send them to anywhere!

As soon as I arrived in the Union Room, I, assuming Dawn had gotten there safely, had begun searching for her in the throng of trainers. After not finding any sign of my friend, I sent her an IM, asking her if she got to the place alright. When I got no reply, I messages her again. And again. Finally, I decided to as the people working there if she had come through.

"Excuse me?" I asked a man behind the reception counter. He glanced up, looking rather bored.

"Can I help you?" he drawled, making my temper rise a couple of degrees.

"Yeah," I said, a threatening edge to my voice. What can I say, I get mad easily. I was surprised that I had managed to not kick someone's guts out so far on my journey. "Have you seen a girl around here, blueish-black hair, white beanie? Hm?"

To be totally, honest, I felt guilty that I hadn't told Dawn about that fight in Sandgem Town, especially because I started it.

* * *

><p><em>"What do you want?" I growled at Verek as he approached me, tousled brown hair surrounding his face. My guard was on instantly as I noticed he had his regular posse behind him, made up of equally dumb idiots, except with the limited-edition lemming ability. I gave them all my best death glare as I picked up my can of Pepsi, doing my best to remain relaxed, slouching against the side of the picnic table I was currently sitting at.<em>

_Verek gave his award-winning smile, and threw his hands up in defense. The smile I used to treasure. I snarled at him, my blue eyes narrowing._

_"Relax, Fal," he said calmingly, that maddening smile still plastered on his face. I twitched slightly when he used my old nickname. "I was just coming over to say hello."_

_I twitched once more in irritation. "With you," I began, making his smirk falter ever so slightly, "It's never just 'coming over to say hello.'"_

_"Besides," I stood, glaring up at him. I hated the fact that he had grown in the past few years. When we used to be equals in height, now he towered several inches, if not feet, above me. "I'm about to leave." I crumpled up my empty Pepsi can and tossed it into a nearby trash can, turning to go._

_"Wait a minute," Verek protested, though I ignored him. "You forgot this." I turned around, and what did I see? That shaggy weasel, with Naruto's pokeball suspended between his index and middle finger._

_"You jerk!" I shouted, jogging back so that I stood about two feet in front of him. Well, actually, I used a more colorful word than jerk, but it's all the same in the end. "How did you get that!"_

_At my obvious rage and frustration, Verek tossed the pokeball over his head, and one of his goons clumsily grabbed it._

_"You just wanted to make me mad, didn't you?" I growled, a threatening edge to my voice. This caught those buffoons' attention. Perfect. "_Congradulations._" I let a frightening smile creep on to my face just to freak them out, though, unfortunatly, Verek realized this, and therefore went unfazed by my grin. I scowled._

_This was just like Verek. Sneak up on me and, when I'm sufficiently P., take something precious from me, just to make things worse. Well. I wasn't just going to sit back and take it anymore. And the thing was, he didn't do it for any reason. He just wanted to make fellow living creatures suffer. How I didn't see that when I was younger, I'll never know._

_I did the only thing I could possibly think of whilst running on my rage. I bolted forward, shoving Verek aside and kicking his left minion in the shin as hard as I possibly could. He shouted in pain and anger and dropped my pokeball. I nimbly caught it and clipped it onto my belt. Another of his minions made a grab for me, but I dodged and punched the guy in the nose. Have I ever mentioned the fact that I have a killer right hook? No? Well, I do. The proof of this would be the fact that blood immediately spurted from his nostrils before the dude could blink._

_Suddenly something clutched my right arm, and without hesitation I whirled around and knocked said person- Verek, I saw with savage pleasure- to the ground. Did I also forget to mention that my left backhand could bring a sumo wrestler to his knees? Okay, that's an exaggeration, but still._

_As soon as Verek hit the ground, I took off. Down the street, take a right, then make the first left, duck into an alleyway and come across the other side, and make a getaway. At least, that was my plan. Unfortunately, Verek knew me well, and intercepted me at the other side. Oddly enough, the only thing I could think of was my disappointment at the lack of a bruise on his cheek._

_I turned to go back out the way I came, but paused. My whole life, I had been running from something. Always something. Verek more often than not. But not this time. I turned to face my opponents once again, a determined look crossing my face. A flash of red light, Naruto was at my side. I smiled to myself. Now that's a true friend. Always there without even being called on._

_We stared at each other, Verek and I, waiting for the other to make the first move for about twenty seconds. And then Dawn burst in. Which resulted in having to run away. I hated myself just a little bit for that. It meant that I'd have to face Verek again. But I suppose that's doable. Because every second that I'm traveling, I'm getting stronger. I have Dawn to thank for that. And if I get strong enough, I won't have to run._

_Not like it matters. I wouldn't run away again anyways._

* * *

><p>"I <em>said,<em> have you seen a girl that looks like that?" I repeated, anger coursing through me. See what that guy does to me? Gah.

The counter man swallowed nervously, seeing that he was most likely facing a demon sent by Arceus herself.

"N-no, no one fitting that description came in here." I growled in frustration and left the room, heading into the next one. I could practically feel the man's relief as I walked away.

"Hmph." I huffed, stalking into the room next door, same bland white tile everywhere you look. Admittedly, thinking about Verek had gotten me into a bad mood. At least, a worse mood than before.

I glanced around, looking for any sight of my friend. Seeing no pink jacket or white beanie, I decided to ask once more.

"Hey! Do you want to battle?" An odd middle-aged man intercepted me on my way to the counter, smiling enthusiastically. I gave him a cold, blank stare.

"Creep." Without blinking, I walked around the dude and to the reception desk.

"Anyone come in here wearing a white beanie and a hot pink coat?" I asked the woman there, who began sweating nervously.

Jeez, that girl must've been easy to scare, 'cuz I didn't even glare at her that time. Although, I did hear her mutter something under her breath that sounded like, "S-such a scary aura..."

"N-no, ma'am, no one came in looking like that." I gave the woman a withering glance and exited the room, starting towards the next one. Honestly, they all looked so alike, it was hard to tell which ones I'd been to before.

After about fifteen more minutes of scaring the poor employees, and sending several more IM's to Dawn, I gave up and began searching for the "teleportation" thingy, or whatever the heck it was. I still didn't buy it. So what if the plaque on the wall said "_Welcome to Hearthome_." Bologna.

Maybe the camera thing hadn't worked for Dawn, and she was sitting back in Jubilife, having a cup of hot cocoa. Oh, who am I kidding. Dawn can't afford hot cocoa! I did feel a tad guilty for making my friend pay for my large breakfast. But I was confident that she could get that money back, when she won a few more battles. I frowned. That girl needed to get some confidence. Dawn really didn't have much faith in her skills as a trainer, I could tell. Even if she couldn't. I'd seen it before. Using a potion early into a battle, and that pained, guilty expression that shadowed her face when Glacie was knocked out. But that was just a part of battleing. I'd lost a couple of times, won some too. There were always eager trainers passing through Sandgem, looking for a battle.

Just as I was getting in the line of trainers heading back to their respective towns, my Poketch beeped. I checked my IMs, discovering that I had a response from Dawn. Saying that she was in _Xatu Forest_. That there did two things to me. One, it made me realize that the whole "teleportation" thing was real. Two, it made me very, very frustrated. Good thing that no one else was near me, or I probably would've hit someone. I tend to lose my temper every once in a while.

* * *

><p>"Why am I following you again?" I asked the Natu, tugging the end of my sleeve out of a prickly rose bush. How this place was in full bloom in October I'll never know. Scratch that. Maybe I would know, but not until later. I growled in frustration as I stumbled over a mossy root. I spared a glance at the Natu as I regained my balance, and it still had that blank expression on it's face. "You know what?" I told it sarcastically, crossing my arms for good measure. "I'm. Going. Home." I turned to leave and began to feel that strange pull once more. Still unnerving. "No!" I whirled around to face the small bird, "I'm tired! I know where my house is, so I'm just going to go home." Why had I even startedd following that bird anyways? After all, I could see where I was in comparison to my house on my Poketch map. Although my stuff was still in Jubilife, I just wanted to go home to a hot dinner that I didn't have to pay for. I'd send for my things when I got home.<p>

A thin ray of hope smiled down on me as I thought of getting home, laying down in my bed, and taking a nap. That ray was drowned out, though, with thoughts of Glacie, still at the Pokemon Center, or perhaps in Hearthome with Falon. I could catch up with them tomorrow, I decided.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't see the sleeping Bidoof until I had nearly tripped over it, barely catching my balance. Unfortunately, being kicked seemed to be enough to arouse the poor thing out of it's slumber, and with a loud "Biiii!" it scurried away, knocking my legs out from underneath me in the process. I hit the ground painfully, biting my tongue. Blood welled up inside my mouth, and I curled my lip in distaste, spitting the putrid fluid as far away as I could. Wiping my mouth, I sighed. Why did I even bother?

Of course, things only started to look _really _downhill when my Poketch blew up.

* * *

><p>"YOU!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I emerged from the white camera teleporting room thing, barging in on a VERY startled nurse. She gaped at me with wide burgundy eyes, then quickly composed herself, a smile magically appearing on her face.<p>

"Y-yes? May I help you?" she started nervously.

"CAN YOU HELP ME! SURE! HELP MY FRIEND, WHO YOU MAGICALLY SENT TO XATU FOREST!" I cried in outrage. The woman blinked a few times, paling.

"X-xatu Forest? I don't see how that would be possible..." she trailed off, this time turning slightly blue.

"Are you SURE? 'Cuz she had her Poketch on, and apparently it _blew up._ Leaving her in Xatu Forest. _Do you have any idea how dangerous that place is!_" the lady cast her eyes down in shame, and a very unwanted feeling of pity filled me. But, I steeled my nerves and carried on. "So, I want you to get her back!" I commanded, grasping her attention.

"Well... I'm afraid that's impossible." she told me, looking downcast. My left eye twitched.

"_What do you mean?"_ the nurse looked like she was about to cry, but this time I wasn't going to let that get to me. "_She's my friend; it shouldn't be that hard to just PRESS THE FREAKING RECALL BUTTON!"_ I slammed my fist down on a giant red button on the console. The nurse, having been distracted, leapt at me.

"No! You can't do that-" I gave her a withering look, but in a few seconds I got what she meant. The button exploded, sending plastic and sparks flying everywhere. But... that was the right button! I saw her press it to send Dawn off!

In a panic, I stumbled backwards and tripped over something. I flew backwards, my head making a loud cracking sound as it hit the tiled floor painfully. My vision went hazy, and the last thing I saw was how the nurse's blonde hair looked rather crooked.

And then I blacked out.

* * *

><p>"AAAH!" I screamed as my pink and white watch burst into a flurry of soot and sparks. When the gizmo calmed down, I was left with a newly blackened Poketch. I yanked it off, rubbing my wrist where the plastic had overheated and scalded me. I turned my watch around, examining it to see what hada caused it to explode like that. I heard a beep, and I looked at the surface, where the screen had blinked back on. I faceplamed, too exasperated to freak out. Still, the thing wouldn't break. "You remind me of Barry." I muttered to it, and looked around.<p>

"Natu." I turned around, already prepared to see the little green bird, staring at me as if nothing had happened.

"Can you show me the way out?" I asked it, defeated, and in response, it turned around and began hopping in the direction we came. I sighed and followed it.

After what I assumed to be thirty minutes or so, I began to have the feeling that the Natu was leading me in circles. Just to make sure, when we passed a familiar-looking rock (it was sort of shaped like a Beldum), I picked up a glob of damp dirt and smeared it across the surface, leaving a very distinct mark. As I was studying the stain I felt that odd tug in my mind, and so I turned to face the tiny bird. It was still staring at me with those creepy little black irises. It resumed it's awkward skipping once it was sure that it had my attnetion, and I trudged on.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, we came across the Beldum-shaped rock once more. Minus the smear.<p>

"No way..." I murmured, reaching out to stroke the cool stone. The same crevasses, the same angles, this rock was the same. "This place is messing with my head." I spoke aloud to no one in particular. I felt a sharp jab on my foot, and looked down to see the Natu pecking on my rainboots. "A-alright..." I gave in, still disturbed. "But can I get out of here sometime soon? Please?" Without giving a response, the Natu bounded away, leaving me and my growing headache with the odd stone.

Said headache continued to enlarge until I was sure that I indeed had died when I ended up in the forest, and was just travelling through an illusion. I examined my hands and pinched my skin, making sure that it was flesh and not the ghostly vapor of a Yamask or some kind of spirit.

It seemed that my luck had finally turned when the Natu led me to a small clearing. I practically fainted in relief when I noticed a rather large stone cave at one end, and began half-heartedly jogging towards it. I was stopped in my tracks, however, when the tug reappeared in my mind, except stronger, and with a sense of- was that urgency?

"What? Can't I just rest for a minute?" I whined to the bird, who had skirted around the open grass and was now submerged in the shade of the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. "We've been walking for so long; can't I take a nap for an hour?" The Natu stared back. I was really beginning to get a feel of miscommunication between the Natu and I. I sighed, and shook my head. "I'm tired. Just a few minutes, I promise." I stepped into the cave and was immediately greeted with seemingly neverending shadows. Paying no heed to the darkness, I settled down on the rock floor. An earthy smell wafted into my nostrils and lulled me into a deep sleep. Or so I thought. But along with that calming earthy scent came an odor of burning wires and electricity. I opened my eyes, and looked out upon the clearing.

Except, instead of seeing the clearing, before my eyes a blue pillar with silver spikes fell out of nowhere and buried itself in the stone just a centimeter from my nose. I bolted upwards, only to hit my head on something that made a very loud pinging sound.

I clutched my head as the pillar rose out of the rock and plunged into the granite on my left side, causing me to throw myself sideways. I stood up, and finally saw what was attacking me.

Before me stood, or floated, a disk-shaped Pokemon with a pointy silver nose and glowing red eyes. Attached to its sides were two or those blue pillars, which it proceeded to lift out of the ground and point at me.

"A-a Metang..." I trailed off, not sure of what to do. I met the Metang's eyes, and it stilled. I felt an even more powerful headache coming on. Keeping my eyes trained on the Metang, I carefully skirted the edge of the cave, nearing the entrance. Until, of course, I was five feet from the sunlight, when I kicked a pebble.

And blinked.

And all heck broke loose.

The Metang let out a savage bellow, the silver spikes on it's arms beginning to glow. It rushed at me, and I froze in fear. All I could see was the oncoming flash of silver, and I closed my eyes, waiting to be impaled.

After several seconds of remaining intact, I opened my eyes a crack, and immediately stumbled back in surprise. The Metang was surrounded in a glowing pink aura. I'd heard of aura's before, and had read that only certain people could see them, but seeing a real live Pokemon surrounded in a pink vapor, was just odd. I ran into the clearing, and finally saw what was holding the Metang back.

The Natu, the little troublesome Natu that had led me in circles, was staring at the Metang with such consentration that I was afraid the sound of my breathing was going to make it implode.

"Wait..." I murmured. I knew what was going on. The Natu was a Psychic type, and it was currently using a powerful move called Psychic. I stared at the scene in shock. Psychic was a very powerful move, and I knew that usually only Pokemon on their third evolutions could learn it. So... That meant that the Natu was a really powerful Pokemon!

A roar woke me out of my thoughts, and I watched in horror as the Metang broke free of the tiny Pokemon's spell and charged at it. It's eyes glowed red, and the Natu was lifted off the ground, rising to five, ten feet in the air, flapping wildly. Not realizing what I was doing, I ran at the two Pokemon and leapt off the ground, kicking off of the Metang's nose. I grabbed the Natu's foot, and with a wild squawk, the spell broke once more and we began to plummet towards the ground, fifteen feet below. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact, but it never came.

Preparing myself mentally for some sort of horrifying image, I opened my eyes and recieved my... what? Fourth giant shock of the day? Instead of facing an enraged Metang, I found myself laying down on soft grass, in a clearing rimmed by rose bushes. I sat up, but was forced back down when a woozy feeling overcame me. Eventually I regained my senses and I slowly sat up. After deeming myself not dead once again, I stood up and turned around. The clearing ended at a sheer cliff, overlooking Lake Verity and the forest below. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun was positioned in the sky so that it reflected off of the lake and sent brilliant dazzling light everywhere.

Standing several feet from the edge of the cliff, a short figure was outlined against the sky, though I couldn't tell what it was, due to the sun being directly behind it. The figure turned around and steeped towards me, enableing me to see the being before me. One hooked yellow beak, a green circular head, two red feet and wings with red and black striped on them, folded in front of the figure like a robe.

"Xatu..." I breathed, awestruck. A breeze wafted around me, and the two long feathers swayed in the wind.

"_You came._" A voice startled me, and I glanced around wildly.

"H-hello? Who's there?" I did a three sixty degree turn and stopped, looking at the Xatu. Four pairs of eyes stared back at me, the two beady black eyes on its head, containing a wisdom far beyond anything I could imagine, and the two red slitted eyes emblazoned on its chest. I felt a sharp rap on my boot, and glanced down to see the little Natu looking up at me.

"_She escorted you here safely, I see. That is good._" Once again, I spun around in surprise at the mysterious voice.

"Who said that?" I called, flashes from horror movies racing through my mind.

"_It was I._" I slowly faced the Xatu.

"Did... You just... Speak to me?" I asked it hesitantly, and widened my eyes in shock as it nodded.

"_Yes._"

"...Alright. Why am I here?"

_"I brought you here."_

"You what?" I was confused.

_"I used my ability that you humans call Teleport to bring you to this forest. I could not have acheived such a feat on my own,"_ the bird kindly explained as my expression went from bewildered to dumbfounded, _"So I used the process that was going to take you to the stone place. Unfortunately, your time-teller connected to the transporter and exploded. My apologies."_ My expression went from dumbfounded to brain-fried. Did he- his voice was slightly masculine- mean he took me while I was being transported to Hearthome? _"Like when she brought you to me using Teleport, as well as saving you from the Metang."_ I glanced at the Natu. It- _she_ had saved me from the Metang? Well, that explained how I got to this clearing, at least.

The sun beat down on me, and I unbuttoned my coat.

"_I would not do that."_ I looked at the Xatu in confusion, _"It is cold."_ I shook my head.

"No. It's actually quite hot." I reasoned. This time it was the Pokemon's turn to shake his head.

_"The heat you feel is nothing but an illusion, created to make the Pokemon here more comfortable in the enviornment. If you need proof," _he added, seeing my disbelieving expression, _"Look at your hands."_ I did as I was told and gasped. My fingertips were turning an unnatural shade of purple. I looked up, stunned, and exhaled. My breath billowed out in front of me, clouding my view of the Xatu. I blinked several times, and the world changed drastically. The rose bushes disappeared, leaving barren shrubs. The trees' leaves turned multiple shades of orange, red, and yellow. Only the evergreens remained the same. The wind blew past once more, but not warm. This wind was a bitter, biting cold, the kind that could only signal the coming of winter. I quickly rebuttoned my shirt and hugged myself, only now realizing how cold it was.

_"See? An illusion."_

"Okay... So, back to my question. Why am I here?" Normally, despite the weirdness of the situation, I would have been overjoyed to talk to a Pokemon. But at this point, I was so exhausted that I didn't really comprehend what I was acheiving.

_"You must be warned."_ I blinked.

"Warned... About what?" I reeled back slightly.

_"...In this forest, Psychic Pokemon such as myself and Natu have the ability, when our strengths are combined, to grant a human a vision."_ I nodded. There were all kinds of rumors about Xatu forest, and the mysterious visions were a part of it.

Suddenly, the Xatu spread his wings to the sky and let out an ear-rattleing cry. The forests was silent, as if it were holding its breath, waiting for something. I looked at the Xatu as it lowered its wings. It stared at me, and I met its eyes.

And then the world became a swirl of colors.

I was encircled in an exotic bubble, flashes of things and images that burned into my mind. A shock went through me as I realized that I had seen every one of these things before. Some images stood out against the others. My dad and I holding hands in the park, my mom sitting on a bench nearby and laughing. My family crying at my father's funeral, with me clutching my mother for dear life. Me meeting Professor Rowan for the first time. Me punching Barry for the first time.

The images changed, becoming clearer and more familiar, less nostalgic. Me hugging Glacie. Me meeting Falon. Barry and I at the lake. The inhuman cry. The odd blue-haired man. The red-headed woman from Jubilife. The nurse from the Pokemon Center. Some unfamiliar pictures. Falon pressing a button. The button exploding. Falon falling and becoming still. The nurse, not doing anything to help, but instead running out of the room. Falon in a room at the Pokemon Center, bandages wrapped around her head. Falon waking up and storming out, light blue eyes burning. Falon at a police station.

The pictures went through another metamorphisis, this time becoming strange and new. A yellow eye, and short blue hair. A mischeivious smile framed with darkly tanned skin, and lock of burgundy hair blowing past. A blond braid and a pink iris. A shape made of light, changeing form and twisting into something new. The images turned darker, more ominous. A small smashed pile of wood. A white shape, dropping from a cliff, twisting and turning as it hit the rough crags and was blown away by the wind. My hat, I realized with dread. And finally, a pillar of light.

The images stopped, a powerful song being abruptly cut off. I fell to my knees in a cold sweat.

"W-wh... Wha..." I was unable to finish the word. Stunned, I lifted my gaze to the green figure in front of me. The Xatu.

_"You have been warned."_

I opened my mouth to respond, to ask him what he meant, but my question was cut off with a deafening chopping sound. Wind started whipping around, and I stood up, holding onto my scarf and hat. The wind was tearing the dying leaves from the trees, and they were swirling about, hitting me in the face.

_"DAWN!"_ Even above the clammer, I could hear a voice screaming my name. I glanced up, and reeled back in shock. A black insect-like machine was descending out of the sky. A hatch opened in the side of the helicopter, and a familiar face appeared. _"HEY DAWN!"_ Falon screamed, a grin appearing on her face as she clutched her cap. Another person inside the chopper threw something out of the hatch, and it plummeted towards me at lightening speed. I barely had enough time to cover my head before the object- a ladder- hit the top of my arms with a painful jolt. Steeling myself over the pain, I glanced back at the cliff.

Xatu was gone.

There were so many things I wanted to ask him... But I couldn't right then. Turning to my priorities, I grabbed the end of the ladder and began to climb higher into the sky, keeping my eyes up, so that I wouldn't see the fast-disappearing ground below and lose my nerve. I finally reached the door, and Falon helped me up into the steel machine.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned, as I slumped to the ground.

"PIPLUP!" I was tackled to teh floor by a flying blue blur, that immediately started wailing into my shoulder.

"Glacie... It's okay. I'm fine. It's okay." I tried my best to sound sincere, but in reality, I was back in that vision, trying to work out what everything meant.

"That's good." Falon sat down next to me. "Let's go back."

* * *

><p>Back in the forest, a lone figure stood, gazing into the setting sun. A smaller, rounder being approached it, coming to stand beside it.<p>

_"Were we right to give her the vision?" _The smaller figure asked in a feminine voice.

_"Yes."_ The taller one responded, opening his beak ever so slightly, his gaze never leaving the sky.

_"But... What if it changes the future?"_ The taller figure seemed to sigh, relaxing for a split second and blinking slowly. But he quickly reverted back to his stoic posture, the moment of vulnerability escaping as quickly as it had come. The figure watched in silence as the last rays of light disappeared over the horizon, turning the sky into an inky darkness.

_"Let's hope it does."_

* * *

><p><em>Alright then! I kinda liked this chapter.<em>

_Since SO many of you agreed with the far fetched-ness of the teleportation idea, I've prepared myself a defense. First off, the Pokemon world is clearly more advanced than the real world, and teleportation is not that big a deal. Pokemon Ranger. The Go Rock Squad Base. Teleportation. Team Galactic Veilstone Base. Teleportation. And besides, the Xatu tapped into the machine, and stole Dawn. But, in case any of you were confused, her Poketch had connected itself to the machine, causing it to explode. It had maintained that link even after she arrived in Xatu forest, and therefore, when Falon broke the machine, it caused the Poketch to explode once more._

_Okay, things about this fic are gonna be changing! First off, I changed the name! Yay! Next, I kinda want to name the chapters, so I may go back and change the chapters so that they have names. Also, I think I'll change the rating to T, just because it would make me feel more comfortable when writing battles. Less paranoid. I'm going to change the summary as well, because I thought of a better one than my current one. Maybe not gold, but acceptable._

_I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long time. Well, I'd like to say that there's a good reason for that. Okay, for the past year, my mom has been battleing cancer, and this December, I'm overjoyed to say that she was officially given a clean bill of health! The past year was not very fun for me. I feel like a giant weight's been lifted from my shoulders. It's a wonderful feeling. So, basically, my family's been celebrating. I feel kinda triumphant, like I finally got to kick cancer's a** for once. Sadly, two years ago, my aunt lost her battle with cancer. I'm the kinda gal with the stereotypical tragic backstory, but I'm not gonna get into that. The point is, everything is looking up!_

_I hope you guys liked Falon's viewpoint. I'm not very satisfyed with it, but eh. I'll get more into the Verek thing later._

_On to the responses!_

_palad1n: Why thanks! I kinda liked my battle too!_

_UR PAL: Well, mostly because when I usually finish my chapters, it's one or two o'clock in the morning, so I'm exhausted and just want to go to sleep. So I slap on a cliffhanger and call it a night._

_Pure Gamer: Thanks!_

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: I wasn't too satisfyed in the ending, either. But it was very late, and I was very tired. I hope this on was better!_

_Alphinia: Thanks! Yes, I realized that when I was reading your review, and I'll try to fix that. I always viewed Cyrus as a nasty guy, so, he's nasty in my fanfic. ^^ I'm glad to see a fellow FortuneShipper. Though I'm not promising this fic will have any sort of FortuneShipping in it, I'm glad I'm not alone there. Yeah, Falon's orphan-ness is extremely overused, but it's important to the story, so what can I say? I'll try to make Dawn's flaws more clear as the story progresses, because you're very right about that. Thank you for mentioning Barry and Dawn's relationship. I try to give them the BFFL vibe, mainly because that's how I view them. And don't worry, Lucas will make many more appearances. I tried to catch all of my grammar mistakes, but as I said, the keyboard doesn't do spellcheck, so I'm not sure. Thank you so much for the review!_

_Bradley8155: Sorry I didn't update soon. ^^' I hope this chapter was good, though! And I like Lucas as well._

_The Last Dragonite:_

_Galactic Grunt fainted!_

_"Oh? He lost... and passed out."_

_"Should we kill him?"_

_"Hm... No... Let's just take his wallet."_

_And that's how I think you get money from the bad guys. Thanks, I rather liked that battle as well. I like Falon's appetite as well. ^^ Don't worry, Marcus will show up eventually. I try to portray the characters correctly, so thanks! And this technically isn't my first piece of writing. While it is my first fanfic, I'm working on a side project, and have been since last year, so I'm a tad experienced. Still a bit new, though, so thank you for all the critisicm. It's much appreciated. The flow is most likely because some parts I'm really eager to write, and others... Not so much, but I know I have to anyways. Not sure which is which, in terms of the rushing and prolonging, I'm not so sure. I'll work on it._

_mangaanimefan4eva: Don't worry, I didn't. You didn't miss anything._

_Just so everyone knows, in the previous chapters, I screwed up. I said Falon's eyes were green, when they're actually light blue. My apologies._

_Just so everyone knows, I completely went AU when it came to Xatu Forest, so I didn't use the anime version. No idea what it's like. So yeah. But I don't own Xatu Forest, I just took a new take on it._

_Okay then, that was a long A/N._

_Happy belated Christmas, New Years, and MLK Jr. Day!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_


	12. The Rival, The Book, and The Battle

Okay,_ I should probably start off by saying that I had planned to get this chapter up a couple of... months ago, but as you can see, that clearly didn't happen. I have excuses. First off, you're wimpy author got a boo-boo on her finger that made typing hurt, so I waited for it to heal. (I cut my finger with a pair of scissors, in case anyone was wondering. Whilst cutting a toothpick for a class project. Yowchies). Secondly, I was trying to document the plot down on paper, so that I wouldn't forget anything. (Y'know, just in case I hit my head and get amnesia or something. We wouldn't want that). And thirdly, I GOT A JOB. At a theater. And anyone who's in theater knows how much time it gorges itself on, so I have had virtually no time to write, and when I have, I have been doing schoolwork and/or sleeping. The show ended recently, though, so I will be able to write again! Yay! Although... it also means I'm out of a paycheck... ;_;_

_But none of that really matters. I'm just a slow, lazy writer, guys. All I can do is apologize for dropping off the face of the earth._

_By the way, I'm officially naming the chapters, because it seems like fun. ^^ I'll go back and title all of the chapters later, alright?_

_Shoutouts to Pure Gamer, palad1n, just-a-chic (x2), The Last Dragonite, mangaanimefan4eva, Rogue Krayt Dragon, Alphinia, UR PAL, mikk317, and Katieisawesome! (Eleven reviews guys! You're all the best! Hugs to you all!)_

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><p><em>~Chapter 10: The Rival, The Book, and The Battle~<em>

"So what happened?" I turned to face my friend as I tried to get comfortable, leaning up against the cold metal interior of the helicopter. Right now, the pilot people were circling over Jubilife City.

When I had asked to go and see my mother first, they had refused, simply saying "Sorry, kid, but we only borrowed this thing, 'cuz your friend there *aherm* _asked,"_ at that moment, Falon grinned evilly and the pilots paled, "Us to rescue you, so we gotta get her back asap." Why is it that boatmen or pilots, or any sort of proud owner of a vehicle of transportation always refers to it as "she"? And why did I get the feeling Falon threatened them?

I shook my head in response, unable to explain things that I wasn't even sure of myself. Falon looked at me in concern, and I forced a smile to reassure her. Seems like she could tell, because she had a look on that said, _you WILL explain this to me later._

"We're going in for landing," the pilot alerted us as we began our descent. I sat up straighter, stretching my spine to see the skyscrapers growing closer. I expected us to make a landing on one of the many tall buildings. Any of them would make a suitable landing space. But instead, we sank further into the city and set down on a park lawn, pedestrians gawking at us. Falon clambered out of the metal bug, and I followed, Glacie perched on my shoulder. I stumbled upon touching the ground; I guess what they say about getting your land legs back is true after all.

I gathered my wits and looked around. I barely had any time to notice an oncoming blur of blue before I was promptly tackled in a flying hug with so much force in it that I stumbled back a few paces. I was finally released and, as if this day could get any weirder, looked at the assaultant.

Blue wavy hair, pink outfit, and yellow eyes, I was just tackled by Lucy Knight. But something was different this time... Instead of her retaining a calm, collected, and princess-y aura, Lucy's expression was one of utter guilt, her hands were clasped at her collarbone in an apologetic manner, and her eyes were glittering, giving her a very Shojo-Manga look. Things only got weirder when she bowed to me, her hair swinging around her head. I blinked a few times, making sure that some psychic pollen or something hadn't stuck to me while I was in Xatu Forest, causing me to hallucinate. Nope.

"Uh..." I began awkwardly, absolutely no idea what to say to her, "Uh... Lucy... You don't have to bow..." I glanced at Falon, to see her looking at the scene, gaping and speechless for once. Even Glacie was staring at me, dumbfounded.

Lucy suddenly stood back up, causing me to back up a bit. Her eyes were swimming now, and I felt... Well, frankly, I felt weirded out. Having a girl that you barely know come up to you, hug you, and bow was... Odd. She still hadn't lost the glittery eyes. I withdrew Glacie, feeling awkward.

"Oh, Dawn, I'm so sorry!" She cried, and bowed once again. I glanced around furtively for an escpae, but found a crowd of interested pedestrians quickly surrounding the area. Lucy straightened again and continued. "If it wasn't for me asking you to, you never would've gotten a Poketch and never would've gone to that forest, and you could have DIED!" I blinked some more as Lucy took a deep breath. "And, if my family hadn't sponsored the new Union Room, you wouldn't have even been taken to Xatu Forest! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!" She began wailing as passerby started to murmur amongst one another and give me accusing glares. I really wasn't surprised that Lucy's family was sponsoring the Pokemon Center Union Room, aftera all, her family had a hand in nearly all of the big events in Sinnoh.

"U-um... You don't have to worry, Lucy... I'm fine!" I assured her half-heartedly, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. She sniffed and looked at me pitifully. Thankfully, Falon stepped in and saved me.

"Uh, hi," she began steadily, catching Lucy's attention. She turned to me. "So you guys know each other?" We nodded, and Falon glanced between the two of us and sighed. Lucy got a gleam in her eyes, and she suddenly rounded on me.

"But don't worry, though! It's all taken care of so that it will NEVER happen again! The teleportation's been removed and disabled, and the data has been destroyed." I widened my eyes at this. "The Pokemon Center's going back to the old fashioned way of having the Union Room in the Center, and the head scientist was fired." I really widened my eyes at this. So much so that I thought my eyes were gonna pop out of my head.

"What! Why woud you fire him! He didn't do anything wrong!" Lucy looked at me quizzically, like I was a puzzle she couldn't figure out. Ha. Honestly, I felt it should be the other way around.

"Well, he promised my whole family that there was no chance that anything would go wrong, and obviously something did. Besides, he was a creep," I still looked at her helplessly, and she sighed, "Listen. He was the head scientist of one of the largest research projects in the world. I heard he got a new job already. Don't worry." I was still frowning, even though I was slightly relieved that whoever the person was, he had another job. Didn't stop the guilt, though. I considered telling Lucy that it wasn't his fault, that I had been psychically stolen from the machine by a Xatu that, quite honestly, could just be a figment of my imagination, but then I realized that if I told her that I'd seem even crazier.

"Anyways, that's only part of the reason why I'm here," she took on a serious expression, "And the other part is because of that nurse."

Falon and I shared a glance. I crossed my fingers that she hadn't gotten canned because of a simple mistake.

"You didn't fire her, did you?" I voiced my fears, and Lucy, surprisingly, shook her head.

"We would if we could. Y'see, we recently learned that that woman is actually a criminal." Falon and I stared at the girl in silence as I wondered where this situation would be on a Shoujo scale. Probably pretty high up. Lucy sighed, probably disappointed at the lack of response. "I won't go into all the details, but the gist is I need you both to come down to the police station and identify her."

I groaned inwardly, exhausted and wanting to just go back to the Pokemon Center, and go to bed. But, recognizing the importance of nailing a criminal, -why wasn't I more concerned about this?- I nodded solemnly along with Falon. She let out a breath of relief, and smiled again, her eyes still sparkling.

"Thanks. I even reserved a ride for you guys to the station!" Lucy gestured to the street, where I saw, to my amazement, a pure white stretch limosine parked on the curb. I let my mouth fall open in astonishment. Lucy called _that _a _"ride"_? A ride was a cab. A ride was a lift from the offerer's mom. A ride was NOT a twenty foot long stretch limo. A limo was, as Barry would say, _transportation. _I stammered something uncomprehensable as pedestrians drifted away from the scene Lucy had caused and crowded around the limo to gawk. Beside me, Falon cleared her throat. She suddenly appeared next to Lucy and began vigorously shaking hands with the heiress immediately.

"Hiiiiiii! My name's Falon, it's a pleasure to meet you!" It was obvious to the naked eye that my companion was a terrible actress; you could literally see the cheerfully suffocating small talk that she was attempting. Lucy, though looking slightly alarmed- a tell-tale sign that she noticed the over-exagerated conversation as well- smiled and nodded and managed to tug her hand out of Falon's grip without seeming rude.

"Ah, yes, nice to meet you too," man she was good at that, "I'm Lucy Knight." Falon seemed unfazed by this; as if she had expected it.

"Soooo, are you and Dawn good friends?" I couldn't believe it. I could actually taste the schmoozing. Or maybe this was just how people acted around famous celebrities. I'd seen many people sucking up to my mom, when I recalled it.

"I wouldn't say good friends, we only met this morning. I like to think we're on good terms though," she turned her bright, glittery gaze on me, and I nodded and smiled back. How had I not noticed her resemblance to Sailor Moon- or, more like Sailor Neptune, with slightly darker hair and yellow eyes- that morning? It was rather scary. "Anyways, should we get going?"

I gulped and nodded as we began to head for the limosine. I dreaded to think of how people would react back in Twinleaf Town, where, although it was hardly a lower-class settlement, very rarely people owned cars. Why would they? Everything in the town is within walking distance, after all. A limo would cause an uproar. As we grew nearer to the car, the crowd magically parted, and the driver appeared and held the door open for us. I hid my (still mauled) face behind my scarf and hair and hastily clambered into the vehicle, eager to be away from prying eyes.

The interior of the car was lavishly furnished, and yes, I say furnished. There were car seats alright, but they were covered in stunning black leather. There was a bar on one side (equipped with what looked like a smoothie maker) with a lounge chair stationed next to it. I let my mouth fall open as Lucy climbed in beside me and took up the lounge chair. Falon, also in awe, took the car seat that faced the trunk of the vehicle, and I sat opposite her. Dim ceiling lights (yes, actual ceiling lights) lit the area and tension filled the air.

"So, what did the woman do, exactly?" I hesitated to ask, but did all the same. Lucy swiveled her chair to face us and stared around the backseat, all traces of Shojo gone, I noted. I was nervous about finding out about who the nurse was. What? Whenever I thought of criminals, my mind immediately flew to the marathon of _Silence of the Mareep_ Barry and I had held when we were children. Bouffalant Bill still gave me nightmares.

"Her name would be Stella Smith," Lucy held up a mugshot of a rather pretty woman with identical features as the nurse, aside from the fact that instead of blonde, her hair was a burgundy color that matched her prejorative, glaring eyes, "and she has been convicted of many crimes, but she is more commonly known as a Pokemon thief." Falon and I exchanged an alarmed glance. I subconciously dipped my hand into my pocket where Glacie's pokeball lay. Normally it would be in my bag, but the employees had kept it when Falon had passed through on her way to the police station, as she told me. They had allowed her to retreive Glacie, though.

The duration of the ride was spent with Lucy explaining to us in detail what exactly this woman had done. Whenever Falon or I made a question or comment, though, it was always submitted in hushed tones, as if we were afraid someone would hear us. I held Glacie's pokeball the entire time, and Falon's hand never left her pocket, where, presumably, Naruto and Shalloe's pokeballs were.

I'll summarize what I learned about Stella. She's a feared Pokemon thief that mainly targets facilities that have high security. Why? Probably for the laughs. Her first crime was the break-in and robbery of seventeen Pokemon from the PokeCenter in Lilycove City. She was captured three days later, but escaped the clutches of the authorities and only twelve of the aforementioned Pokemon were recovered. Her operations were incredible. She'd sneak in past any sort of guards or cameras, and creep into the security booth and knock out the guards with one blow to the neck each. They never woke up until morning, if they woke up at all. (This would be where Falon and I gulped nervously). She is wanted in nearly all the regions, ranging from Orre to Unova to Ransei to Kanto. And now she was in Sinnoh. It seemed that Falon and I had foiled her plans to rob the Jubilife PokeCenter of it's patients and guests; Poke-wise, of course. Pride swelled inside myself like a balloon; I had saved so many creatures, and saved their trainers from guilt and heartache, but that balloon popped when I realized that I had most likely gotten myself an enemy- a criminal, no less.

"Here we are," Lucy let out a sigh as we pulled up in front of the Jubilife police station, "I'm afraid I can't go any further. I have to get home by tonight, and it's a bit of a drive. My brother's expecting me." She gave us a bashful smile and we nodded. Not waiting for the driver to get out, I opened the latch on the door and stepped out into the cool night air. Well, that's what I'd say if I were going for drama. Really, the air was frigid, and the icy wind blowing right through my coat, clothes, and internal organs didn't help matters. My teeth began to clatter together and I crossed my arms, rubbing my forearms furiously to create friction, and therefore, create heat. Falon got out next to me, and I glanced over to see her face. I widened my eyes in alarm as I saw her rapidly turning a frightening shade of purple. Well, I guess it was to be expected. She was dressed for springtime weather, after all. Her shorts only cut off about six inches above the knee and her vest was sleeveless. She must have been freezing. I faced the car one last time and waved goodbye to Lucy, who follwed suit.

"See you soon!" Were her parting words as the limo door shut and the sleek snow-colored car slid off into the night, changing colors from the reflected lights of the city. I sighed, white mist spreading from my mouth and dissipating into the night. Looking around, I realized that, unlike the gawkers from the park, not a single pedestrian had paid any heed to the stunning vehicle of transportation. Gotta love those city folks.

I led my shivering and immoblilized companion inside the, thankfully heated, lobby.

"Are you alright?" Color slowly returned to Falon's face as she exhaled. She sniffed and eventually nodded.

"Y-y-ye-yeah. I-I-I th-think s-so." Clearly that was not the case, as her teeth clanging together was generating an enormous amount of noise.

"Can we help you?" We turned our attention to the back of the lobby as three young voices chorused the well-rehearsed lines in unison. The lobby was standard, shiny tile floors, a potted plant here or there, a stainless steel receptionist desk in the far corner. Behind said counter sat three of the most... adorable kids I had ever seen in my life. None of them could be older than eleven, at most. Their faces were identical, though their expressions varied, as well as the hair. One of them sported a giant grin and wild scarlet hair. The boy's exterior greatly reminded me of Barry. The second boy was the polar oppostie of the first, he had neatly combed and plaited cerulean hair that was parted on the side and fell just short of his eyes. His expression was somewhat detached, like he was sitting right in front of me, but couldn't really see me. The third and final child sat in between the two. He had a calm, if somewhat shy smile on his lips, and short green hair, with a tiny tuft sticking up in the front.

"Uh, yes, I think so," I began, confused as to why three children seemed to be managing a police station. On closer inspection, I realized that they each had something to occupy themselves. The red-haired one was holding a blue game console and furiously pressing buttons at a lightning pace. The blue-haired child seemed to be writing something, and when Falon and I moved to stand in front of the desk, I saw that he was... balancing a checkbook? The middle kid was filling out a form of sorts, that looked like a volunteer sheet, for the names Chili, Cress, and Cilan. "We're here because of the-"

"Smith case?" The blue-haired child looked up lazily from his math work long enough to interrupt me.

"Yeah."

"Okay," The green-haired one began, then turned to his red-haired brother (assuming they're brothers), "Chili? Can you call the boss?" 'Chili' nodded eagerly and jammed his index finger down on an intercom.

"HEY BOOOOOSSSSSSS! WE GOT A COUPLE 'A PEOPLE HERE TO SEE YOOOOUUUUUU!" I blinked, startled. This kid -Chili- particularly seemed to enjoy being energetic. I'd have to introduce him to Barry if I ever got the chance. I heard a crash from down a hall on the oppostie side of the room and the creaking of a door. Eventually, a grown man stumbled out into the open, with messy brown hair and a police uniform on.

"That's the last time I doze off next to the intercom..." The man stated grudgingly as Chili grinned bashfully and scratched the back of his head, "Cilan, why would you tell Chili to call me? Why not Cress? I left you in charge because you are the most level headed of you three," he whined at the green-haired one, who I assumed was Cilan. Cilan smiled uneasily, glancing away. The blue-haired one, Cress, however, stared at the man with annoyance in his eyes, as well as looking rather offended, as the man walked over to the desk.

"Um, w-well, I knew Chili would get your attention the easiest," Cilan defended himself. He looked like he was about to say more, but Cress lay a hand on his shoulder and Cilan fell silent.

"Why would you have dozed off? You told us to manage the lobby because you said you had to do paperwork, not so that you could sleep," Cress chastised his employer, who looked around, seemingly for an escape. He finally noticed Falon and myself, who had thus far watched the scene unfold before us in silence.

"Dawn! How nice to finally meet you! Wow, you're the spitting image of your mother," the man cooed in admiration and shook my hand as I blinked in surprise, "but you have your father's chin. I'll bet you have his smile as well!"

"Um... Sir... Mr. Carrow," I corrected myslef when I saw his nametag, "I don't want to be rude, but... Do I know you?" Carrow stood looking at me for several seconds, and burst out laughing.

"No, I guess you wouldn't. I was a classmate of your mother's, and a friend of your fathers. My condolences on your loss, though it's too late for that," when I realized what he was implying, I could feel a shadow cross over my face. It was rude of him to bring up those memories of pain and tears when I had worked so hard to bury them. How dare he...!

I shook my head clear of those thoughts. There wasn't any time for that. I shouldn't be offended when someone brings up my dad. After repeating that to myself silently for a few short seconds, I glanced back to reality and saw that Carrow was talking once more, this time to Falon.

"So, you two were the 'witnesses' concerning the Smith case. Alright," he began, turning back to me, then to the boys, "get the interrogation room ready." I reeled at this, and, if I had bothered to look to my right, I would have noticed that Falon did the same.

"Yay, it's interrogation time!" I heard Cilan pipe up.

"The _what?_" I asked incrediously. Mr. Carrow glanced in our direction as he swerved to stand behind the desk, bent over, and grabbed some files out of a drawer.

"We were told we'd be identifying her, not being interrogated!" Falon complained loudly, and the boys filed out of the lobby and down the hall, not sparing a backwards glance at the scene that was about to unfold. Carrow sighed, exasperated, and pretended to ignore us.

"Also," Falon continued, "I thought Officer Jenny ran the Police Stations." This apparently caught the man's attention, becasue he abrubtly answered the assumption.

"Normally she does, except this week she's off in Sunnyshore, helping her sister. Or cousin. Or something. I'm the deputy, so I'm taking her position for the moment. And, man, let me tell you, I don't know how she does it, with these hours," he paused for a moment, a smile lighting his face, "Without the boys volenteering everyday, I'd be a dead man."

"Ready, boss!" I heard Cilan's voice sound from afar. We followed Mr. Carrow into the back hallway, where the boys had a stainless steel door propped open.

"This is soooo cool!" I heard Chili stage-whisper to Cress. "Our first interrogation!" This is where Carrow stepped in, gently clearing a path through the kids for us.

"Sorry boys," he began, a warning tone in his voice, "but this is for pros only. I still need you guys to man the lobby." The reaction was immediate, and quite effective. Chili's eyes swelled to the size of grapefruits, shining and swimming, his lower lip trembling. Cress had a glare of sheer indignation spelled out clearly across his features. Cilan, however, had a soft look of sheer disappointment plastered on his face, and that was probably the most gut-wrenching one of all. Have you ever seen a kid using Bambi eyes to the maximum power? It ain't a pretty sight. I felt my heart swell in empathy until I thought my chest would burst, splattering and staining the perfectly polished walls with molten pity. Carrow, however, sheilded his eyes expertly, as if he had done this a thousand times, and gestured for the boys to hurry along. Each one heaving a heavy sigh, in various degrees of enthusiasm, they headed towards the lobby. I felt bad for them, and guilty that I hadn't spoken up, until I heard laughter and talking and I realized that they didn't mind and had most likely taken up their respective activities once more.

I began to walk into the 'interrogation room,' but halted when Falon stuck her arm out in front of me, barring my way.

"Hold it. You still haven't answered us. _Interrogation room?_ I _beg _your pardon? We were called here to identify a criminal. Not be interrogated," Falon critisized the poor man openly, though somehow I could tell she was just getting started, "Do you think we had a hand in it? 'Ya think we were accomplices!" She left my side now, stalking up to Carrow and jabbing him with her finger. You'd think she was a feral Hydreigon by the way the man- the full grown police officer- was looking at my companion. Only one phrase could describe it- Deerling in the headlights. "WELL WE WEREN'T! IN FACT, I'LL HA-" I slapped my hand over Falon's mouth, not wanting her to continue and say something that she'd regret. I never actually found out what she was going to say. I never asked. Never want to.

Carrow sighed, a long, heavy breath that made me think that he had actually been frightened by Falon's little... uh... speech. Hm. Maybe the copper wasn't as big and brave as most officers seemed.

"Would it make you two feel better if I called it the questioning room?" Carrow rubbed the bridge of his nose, a clear sign of exasperation.

"NO IT WOULD NO-" Once again I had to stop my friend from causing a scene (though it wouldn't really matter, becuase no one was around), this time by grabbing the back of her vest collar and tugging with all my might. I was partially surprised that Falon was getting this riled up, but then realized that she was like a little kid- she was probably just really tired and hungry, and therefore throwing a fit. She had just as long a day as me, and probably wanted to go home and go to sleep as well. I understood that well.

"Listen, I'm really sorry, but I have to document what happened. I've already questioned the other nurses, as well as anyone who was in the Pokemon Center." Falon and I exchanged an exasperated glance, and walked inside of the "questioning room."

Alright, so, basically what happened was we told Mr. Carrow what exactly Stella Smith had done in our presence. That being, nothing out of the ordinary for a nurse. Looking back on it, I became skeptical that she even was a criminal, but then recalled the cold stare in her mugshot. I shivered.

Nothing out of the ordinary, of course, until Falon got to the part about that button exploding. I recalled that part from the... vision... thing I experienced earlier that day. I honestly wasn't sure what to call it. Falon described the scene, and I refrained from informing Carrow about how the nurse ran out after Falon had fainted. Until I knew what had actually happened to me, I sure as heck wasn't going to tell anyone about it.

Eventually, Carrow decided that he had weeded out all possible information out of us and led us to a room, where we would identify Stella Smith. We were led out of the interrogation room and led into one of those super cool rooms where there was a window that wasn't really a window, connecting two rooms. Through the window thing I saw four women sitting around a table, playing cards. Since they took no notice of us, I assumed that they only saw a mirror.

"Now, ladies, just for the records, and court, which one is Ms. Smith?" Carrow asked, grabbing a clipboard. Falon and I stared blankly through the portal, analyzing each womans' face, thinkng hard back to earilier that day. Such a long, long time ago. I was practically a different person.

I was roughly jolted out of my slightly depressing thoughts when Falon elbowed me in the side. I was about to shoot her a glare when I noticed the panic-stricken look she was giving me. Not once in our short friendship had I _ever_ seen Falon panicked. Angry, yes. Panicked? Hardly. At least, not until now. She madly gestured (using only her head) to the room in front of us, and I gazed through the glass, puzzled at what she was getting at. I scruntinized the room, up and down, until I finally caught on. I paled immediately and furiously turned my head back and forth, from Falon to the women, hoping, praying, that she wasn't seeing what I was seeing. She nodded grimly, and we exchanged frightened stares and turned to Carrow. He glanced up from his clipboard and frowned, not understanding the shocked expressions on our faces.

"What? Did you two identify the right one yet?" Carrow said, an eager determination on his face. My stomache plumetted to the soles of my feet.

"None of these... They're not her." Falon murmred, reticently facing Carrow. He blinked several times, a blank expression on his face. Finally, after two or so minutes, he fainted.

You know, my mom (and Barry) always told me that there was only one phrase for situations like this.

Oh crap.

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><p>I woke up the next morning in my bed at the Pokemon Center. How did I wake up? Falon pelted my face with unused pokeballs. Ever been woken up via pokeballs? It's effective, let me tell you that. Why did she wake me up by throwing pokeballs? Probably because it was around two o'clock in the afternoon and I still hadn't woken up.<p>

And don't critisize me for sleeping in. I had a long, _long_ previous day. After we had managed to revive Mr. Carrow, he had hastily ushered us out. We waved a furtive good-bye to the boys and hurried down the various boulevards, jumping at every blaring horn, every dark shape shifting in the alleyways beside us. Gotta love the city. When we finally arrived, Falon and I made a beeline for the elevators. We ran inside our room like our lives depended on it, and bolted the doors. Releasing our Pokemon, we explained what had happened, and then passed out.

Falon had apparently gotten extremely impatient, waiting for me to arouse, and decided to take matters into her own hands. Hence the pokeball fight so early in the morning. Or afternoon.

And so, after five minutes of being repeatedly plunked in the noggin by round spheres of priceless technology, I got too irritated to attempt to sink back into slumber and started hurling pokeballs back at my companion. Picking up the ones that had bounced off my ruffled blue hair, I chucked them at Falon, who was sitting on her respective bunk.

Midway through the battle, our Pokemon decided to join in the fun and got out of their pokeballs (Naruto's was in flight at the time... So maybe not all of the flying pokeballs were unused...) and immediately formed teams. Glacie and myself were versing Falon and Naruto, whilst Shalloe thought it would be wiser to sit on one of the top bunks and observe from above.

Eventually, the whole situation became too strange to continue without having a seizure from laughing so much, so I raised my hands in mercy and conceded defeat.

"So, why exactly did you wake me up?" I asked her after we had repacted the pokeballs.

"Well, it was kind of painful for me to watch you sleeping for so long, while I was awake," I rolled my eyes, "and there was someone downstairs looking for you." This peaked my interest. Someone looking for me? Why? I couldn't think of any reasons, so I decided to just go down to the lobby and see for myself. Glacie opted to go with me, but Falon shook her head an dmumbled something about taking a not-so-quick nap. Did I mention that we were both feeling the strains from yesterday?

"Piplup, pip pip-piplup?" Glacie piped up on our way to the elevator, me sucuring my hat onto my head. Her words would probably seem like gibberish to any other person, but I found meaning and words in her speech. I'm not sure why, I guess we had just bonded so much, even over a short period of time. Translation: Where are we going, anyways?

"Downstairs, apparently someone's looking for me."

"Pip? Lup-pip?" Huh? Who?

"Not sure." The elevator pinged as the doors opened and I stepped inside, placing my arm in front of the sliding door to keep it in place for my Piplup. She hesitated at the crack in the floor where carpet became metal, and looked up at me pitifully. Sighing, I bent down and held out my arms for her. With a chirp of happiness, she gratefully leaped into my arms, pecking my arm.

We arrived at the lobby, one elevator ride later, and I surveyed the room for anyone familiar. Nada. Anyone who seemed to be looking for me? Nope. I shrugged an dwas about to ask Nurse Joy for any hints when I was tapped on the shoulder. Standing behind me, on the boundary of the Pokemart, was a deliveryman, clad in a red uniform with a Pidgey logo on it.

"Dawn Hikari?" He asked in an oh-so-official tone. I nodded. "Package for you from your mother. Please sign here." He held out a reciept and a pen, which I scrawled my loopy signature on. He handed me a cardboard box, and promptly left. I sniffed. _Well._ So much for service with a smile. I focused my attention on the package, which was rectangular in shape, and covered in a crisp cardboard cover. I started to pick at the edges, but gave up.

"Glacie? If you will?" My trusty Piplup was only too happy to oblige, and had the carboard reduced to nothing within seconds, thanks to her sharp beak. I held the two encased items in my hand. One was my old journal, the one I'd had since I was ten, filled with endless research about the Pokemon world and journeying and such. I flipped through the soft old pages, and, sure enough, found a section at the very beginning that I had hardly glanced at since I was twelve. Pokemon Centers and Pokemarts. No wonder the name rang a bell when Falon brought it up. I frowned at myself; how could I have forgotten such a valuable piece of information? I shook my head and set it aside, then turned to the second item resting in my lap. Before my eyes was a brand new journal, all crisp edges and bright colors. My eyes lit up as I smelled the heavenly scent of fresh paper and ink.

"Piplup! Piiiiiipluup!" I chuckled at my Pokemon oohin and ahhing over my new possesion.

"Cool, huh?" I sat for a moment, thinking about what to do next. My gaze caught on a tiny slip of paper wedged between the first page and the cover. Taking it out, I quickly scanned the words neatly printed in my mother's penmanship.

_Dear Dawn,_

_I hope you arrived in Jubilife safely. Call me as soon as you get this. I hope your trip went well, and tell your friends hi for me!_

_Love, Mom_

I smiled to myself at her note. I loved how she had said "friends," not specifying whether they were human or Pokemon. As long as they had a heartbeat, they were all the same to Johanna. Sighing, I picked up Glacie and my new belongings and rushed over to one of the phones, equipped with a computer monitor so that you could see the people you were talking to. Thankfully, my mother owned one, considering she always needed to keep up with her friends in the contest business, and ordinary phones simply would not do. I dialed the number and my mom picked up after only three rings. I expected her to greet me with a smile, a "Hello!", something cheerful. Was that what I got?

No.

"DAWN HIKARI WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I reeled back in shock and nearly dropped the phone. Clutching it in my hand, I brought it up to my ear. But that wasn't really neccessary. "I GET A CALL YESTERDAY SAYING THAT YOU'VE DISAPPEARED AND THEN I GET A CALL SAYING THAT YOU'RE BEING BROUGHT BACK TO JUBILIFE AND YOU _DON'T BOTHER TO CALL ME?_" I gulped. Ah.

"Sorry Mom, I guess I was just really tired when I got back." I weakly defended myself, but I could tell from Johanna's expression that she wasn't anywhere near satisfied with my answer. So I did the next best thing I could think of. I spilled my heart and soul out to my mother.

After that, I recounted my experiences of the previous day (the vision and Xatu excluded), and by the end, Johanna was staring blankly into the camera. I held my breath, not sure what her reaction would be. After blinking several times, my mother sighed heavily. Then, to my immediate surprise, she began... Laughing?

Yeah, she was. Doubled over, clutching her sides, my mother was just finding something incredibly hilarious in all of this.

"...Uh... Mom? Are you okay?" I asked nervously. My mom wiped her eyes and straightened up.

"Yes," she began, still chuckling, "but, that was just... Honestly. And I thought _my_ journey was exciting!" She laughed at this little joke of hers. "Anyways," there was a clash and a bang coming from the kitchen, and my mother jumped slightly, "ah! No, Mimi! Get down from there! I told you to wait for dinner! _No, the fridge is not meant for climbing!_ NO, DON'T JUMP ONTO THE CABINETS! THOSE WERE JUST FIXED! BYE, DAWN, LOVE YOU SWEETHEART, HAVE FUN, STAY SAFE, GOTTA GO! NO, MIMI, GET AWAY FROM THE WATER COOLER, I JUST MOPPED, HEY, STO-" She hung up the phone, leaving me stunned, to say the least.

"Pip... Lup?" That was easy enough for anyone to understand. What just happened?

"Mimi was hungry, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. I think." That was my best explanation. Glacie exchanged looks, shrugged, and walked out.

Our search started out as an excuse to find food, but, quickly, I remembered that I had no money. So, after that we just wandered. Until, that is, we bumped into a familiar beret'd boy.

"Lucas, hi!" Glacie joined me in my greeting, adding her own "Pip!" of greeting. Instead of returning my smile, however, Lucas's face contorted into a concered expression. I noticed that he was accompanyed by the fire-type starter that he had shown me, only four days ago. Chimchar.

"Dawn, are you alright? The Professor and I heard that you had disappeared. Then reappeared. Are you okay?" He reiterrated, using different words, and I nodded hastily, wanting to put the boy out of his worry. He sighed, and fell into step beside me. His Chimchar leapt into his arms, and waved shyly to me. I returned the greeting with a smile, and Lucas took notice.

"This is my Chimchar, Kenneth.I got him just a couple of days ago; when you got your Piplup, Glacie, was it?" Said Piplup responded by jumping up and into my grasp, where she struck up a conversation with Kenneth.

"Yeah," We strolled in silence for a bit, which gave me the oppourtunity to study the Professor's assitant. He was tall, and lanky. As far as I knew, when boys reached the age of thirteen or so, they either gained muscles and weight, or sprouted up like beanstalks, and it seemed Lucas had gone the tall and skinny way. Pretty cute, too, I mused. His innocent face gave him a boyish look, making him appear younger than he was.

"Mind if I ask where we're going?" He spoke up after five minutes or so.

"Well, I figured I'd head on down to the Trainer School to take the test and get my liscense-" I faded out as I noticed someone across the street staring at me intently. Seriously, though. He was glaring at me, right at me, and that wasn't even the weirdest part. What was the weirdest part? He was standing behind a telephone pole. And seemed to think that, as long as he was concealing a fifth of his person behind the narrow strip of metal, nobody could see him. He was clad in a knee-length trench coat. Under that was a dark brown suit. Lucas took notice of the man at my pause.

"Dawn, why is that guy looking at you?"

"No idea."

"Pip?" Glacie turned to Kenneth.

"Char." He shrugged. Seeing that he had been noticed, the man crossed the street in a blur to come to a stop behind the lamp post ten feet in front of Lucas and I. His staring was beginning to make me slightly uncomfortable. How long had this weirdo been watching me? I got creeped out and was contemplating what to do when Lucas called out to the man.

"Um... Hello?" The man gave a start, then made a beeline for us. He skidded to a halt in front of me. I stepped back a couple of paces. His stern face was rather frightening.

"Are you Dawn Hikari?" My first thoughts? Oh-Arceus-oh-Arceus-oh-Arceus-I'm-being-stalked-by-some-weird-trench-coat-guy-oh-Arceus-please-don't-let-me-get-kidnapped-and-murdered-and-this-guy-is-stalking-me-oh-Arceus-please-don't-let-me-die...!

"My codename is Looker," oh-my-Arceus-he-has-a-codename-which-means-he-can't-use-his-real-name-which-means-he's-wanted-oh-Arceus-I'm-a-dead-girl-please-don't-let-me-die, "and I have recently been brought aware of your whereabouts." Judging from Kenneth's and Glacie's reaction, my expression was a bit beyond horrified. Of course, Lucas wasn't looking at me, he was staring at "Looker," mouth agape, his jaw swinging in the breeze. Or so I was told. As I said, my thoughts weren't exactly the most oriented at the time. Looker turned serious, his eyes becoming skeptical. "But of course, you know who I am. How else would be able to notice a member of the international police?" I blinked. So did Lucas. And our Pokemon.

"Huh?" Yep. That's all I could say at the moment. It was physically impossible for me to form comprehendable words. "Police?" Except for that.

"What? We were just wondering why you were staring at Dawn." Lucas filled in, curious as to just exactly what was going on.

"Ah, that is right!" The way the man spoke was very formal, as if english wasn't his first language. Or, perhaps, he just spoke too many languages, being an interpol cop, and got all of them jumbled around in his head and had to think about what he was saying, so that he didn't break out in Japanese all of a sudden. "You, Dawn Hikari, you were one of the witnesses concerning Stella Smith's appearence, no?" I nodded slowly. "Right. I want to warn you; Stella Smith is not one to be toyed with. If you ever think that she's near- whether it be a shadow or a small blur in the corner of your eye, you are to tell me or your nearest Officer Jenny. Understood? I have been tracking that woman for many years now, and it is only luck that I was assigned to patrol Sinnoh, where she appeared."

"O-okay." I responded gravely. Was he suggesting that she was going to come after me? Hunt me down, like I was a Caterpie and she was a Pidgeot? I gulped.

"Well, she is not here anymore, so I must be on my leave! Dawn Hikari, Lucas Koki, farewell!" With those rushed words of parting, he shook Lucas's and my hands and walked into an alleyway adjacent to the street. If we had bothered to look in the alley, we wouldn't have seen anything.

"...How did he know my name?" Lucas wondered aloud, his brows furrowed, trying to remember ever stating his name. I was silent. I was scared.

* * *

><p>"Good luck, Dawn!" I bid my goodbyes to Lucas and Kenneth later that afternoon, after we had eaten lunch (which Lucas, ever the gentleman, had paid for), as well as had ice cream cones, one for each of us, Pokemon included, and he escorted me to the Jubilife Trainer School. If Barry had been there, he would have teased me endlessly about going on a 'date' with Lucas. Call it what you may. He paid for the meal, so I would have remained silent. Besides, the professor's assistant was good company; being the Pokefanatics we were, conversation was easy.<p>

"Thanks! See you later!" I waved and stepped into the Trainer School, Glacie 'Pip'-ing her goodbyes to Kenneth. Besides the fact that the two had hatched together in Rowan's lab, they had bonded throughout the course of the day.

Immediately, I spotted the familiar messy blond hair amongst the crowd gathered around the registration desk. Creeping up on Barry, I waited until I was only seven inches behind that quirky orange and white striped jacket before I spazzed him, digging my index and middle fingers into his ribcage.

Spazzing my best friend/rival was a fun little habit of mine that I had picked up around the age of nine- when I had learned that Barry was probably the most ticklish person on the planet.

* * *

><p>"<em>Dawn, look at this!" Barry shouted at me from above. I wasn't really concentrating on my friend, really, I was trying my hardest not to think about the fact that I was thirty feet above the ground, the only thing keeping me from plummeting to my death being a thin cable cord and my own hands and feet.<em>

"_Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down," I repeated to myself quietly like a prayer. Don't look down. Don't think about the fact that the worn, brightly colored hand and footholds looked ready to pop off their nails. Don't think about the fact that the person holding your cable looked old and lazy and weak. No. don't think about that. Think about the fact that, only twenty feet above you is a bell. Just make it to there. Ring the bell. Prove to Barry that you're not a scaredy-Meowth. Deep breaths._

"_Heeeeeey, Dawn! Look!" I was nervous and _very_ aware that my hands were developing a sticky, slippery film of clammy sweat, which spread to my forehead and ears. Clutching the tiny red abstract piece of plastic in my hand, I furtively glanced up at my friend, pressing my body to the oddly textured artificial rock. What I saw gave me a heart attack, and I nearly fell, my grip slipping for the smallest moment in which my weight, combined wiht gravity, made me jolt. Heart hammering my ribcage, I looked up once more at my impish, idiotic best friend who was only hanging on the rock wall by his right hand and foot._

"_B-B-B-Barrrrry! What're you _doing!"_ I shouted back, eyes no doubt wide and tear-filled. "You'll get youreself killed!" I screamed at him desperately. Barry rolled his eyes and complied, reattaching himself to the wall. For his ninth birthday, Barry had decided to host his party at the nearby recreational center, which also contain a rock-climbing wall. Aka, the bane of my existence. I sighed, closing my eyes for a very brief second. "Thank you."_

"_Now come on! I'm not going to wait forever!" Grumbling, I scrambled up the rock imposter to latch on to the wall next to Barry. "Well, it's about time," Barry said with a grin that could wrap around the Earth twice, if need be. Exasperated, I removed my hand long enough to poke him in the side._

_And then, my friend exploded._

_Letting out a yowl, Barry launched up into the air, closing the remaining five feet between himself and the bell at breakneck speed, colliding with the interior of the gold bell, and the room echoed the resounding clang as Barry vibrated along with the instrument. But it didn't end there. What goes up, must come down, and so Barry began to fall the five feet he had leapt, swinging down and bashing his face into the wall. Startled, he pushed off from the wall and clung ot his cord for dear life, looking very much like a Glameow stuck in a tree. He even hissed._

_Startled, I lost my grip on the handholds and fell..._

_About four inches._

_Well, I guess I shouldn't judge those cable workers, after all._

_Blinking from what just happened, Barry rubbing his nose, we stared at each other and promptly broke into a laughing fit that wouldn't ease up until we were safely on the ground._

* * *

><p>The reaction Barry had this time was similar in nature, in which Barry squealed and rocketed into the air, clinging to the rafters of the room... Ten feet up. Now, I'm not sure about the physics of it all, but I didn't think that was humanly possible. Clutching my sides, which were aching with laughter, I didn't catch Barry's death glare until he had managed to find his way to the floor. Barry, my friend the Emolga.<p>

"What was that for?" It was more of an accusation than a question, though it was rather hard to hear him with Glacie dying of laughter on my shoulder.

"I'm required by law to spazz you at least once a month." Barry didn't have anything to say to that.

"So you're taking the test now too?" I struck up a conversation as we found an opening in the crowd.

"Well, duh," I rolled my eyes as the person working at the computer asked for our names. We handed him our pokedexes and waited to be told our test time, "we have to get our liscense sometime. We can't go on being liscenseless."

"You two are in luck, there are two empty spots in the test right now," the man handed us our pokedexes, "oh, and no Pokemon are allowed. Good luck!" I frowned and withdrew Glacie into her pokeball. We were gestured to the opposite side of the room, where turnstiles created a path leading to a door.

We stepped through the turnstile and the door slid open automatically to reveal a classroom, where kids (and teens) of all ages were finding seats. Barry and I searched for two seats next to each other (after all, who would want to be crammed next to a complete stranger while taking a life-altering test), but eventually gave up and ended up sitting three rows away.

The tests were passed out by a stern-faced middle aged woman who glared at anyone who dared to do so much as cough. I glanced over the test and my eyes widened. They were all multiple choice and all so... Easy.

Question 1. How do you cure poison. I scoffed to myself and circled the letter C. Antidote. I guess all of those years of writing information down in my journal really helped. Question 2. How many Pokemon are in the known Universe. I circled B. Unknown. I sighed and began scribbling a senseless doodle on the side of the sheet. I recalled learning that the test took three hours... I groaned inwardly. Three hours of filling out a packet of stupid, obviuos questions? Ugh.

Fifteen minutes later, I was aroused from my daydreaming when I was plunked in the head. Staring at my desk where a wadded piece of paper had landed, I unfolded it to see a familiar messy scrawl.

_Hey, Dawn, what's the answer to #27?_

_Barry_

_P.S. You are the greatest person in the world and you have awesome hair and you're so so so nice and I know that you're the best friend a person could have and..._

I rolled my eyes. The schmoozing went on, but I didn't bother to read the rest. I knew he was just trying to butter me up so that I'd help him cheat. Deliberately, I slowly and obviously shredded the paper, brushing the remains off my desk. I'd gotten into trouble helping Barry on a test before, and wasn't planning on screwing up my chances for my liscense. Although, I was curious as to what question would make Barry turn to me for help. After all, we each held the same amount of Pokemon knowledge. So, I flipped to the fourth page and read the question. And my jaw dropped.

Question 27. Name all of the known egg groups and give an example of each.

That was not multiple choice. I shook my head. Why did we need to know that? Everyone was taking a test to get a _training_ liscense, not a breedng liscense. Skimming through the rest of the packet, I noted gravely that the quesions just became harder and harder. I gulped. This was going to be a long test.

* * *

><p>"Phew. That was hard," The woman had dismissed us after another fourty-five minutes of rigorous test-taking. Everybody had been led into a fencd-in outdoor area and the students were all milling about, wondering what was going on. I had met up with Barry, who was still a little sour about me refusing to help him.<p>

"I'll say," he muttered, "no thanks to you."

I rolled my eyes and shoved him a little, lightening the mood. He grinned, and I knew all was forgiven.

"How's Tyke?"

"Good. He's gotten really strong! You know the other day, he took down an entire flock of Starly single-handedly!" Making wild gestures with his hands, I couldn't help but grin. The 'entire flock of Starly' was probably just one or two, and at seperate times. But then again, Barry couldn't resist bragging. "I bet if we battled again, I could beat you!"

"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?" Barry didn't get a chance to respond, as the shriek of a whistle cut through the air.

"Listen up, maggots! The final test will be a battle!" The serious lady from earlier shouted out. Barry and I exchanged a surprised guess. We had no idea that there were two parts to the test. "You will be paired up randomly and battle your opponent with a Pokemon that you are in possession of. If there is no such Pokemon, then the school will lend you one. Now! The first battle will be taken place in the courtyard, between Barry Clint and Dawn Hikari!"

Barry and I looked at each other in shock. So... it was one of us getting the liscense over the other? This wasn't going to be pretty.

We took our places on opposite sides of the courtyard, still not fully realizing that we would have to battle each other. I couldn't begin to imagine how awful it would be if one of us could continue with our journey and the other couldn't. At least, until the test was re-taken. We had always been the dynamic duo. Sure, we weren't travelling with each other, but at least I had the consolation of knowing that we were probably progressing at the same rate.

The other test-takers moved to the sides of the makeshift arena to learn of their assigned opponents, or to watch Barry and myself battle it out. I called out Glacie and Barry released Tyke.

I took a deep breath. This was it. I wouldn't lose.

A judge took up residence on the side of the field and blew the whistle for us to begin. Glacie clenched her... flippers, and Tyke pawed the ground like an angry bull. It might've just been me, but I thought the little Turtwig had grown a tad in the last few days. Maybe he had gotten stronger.

"Glacie! Use Bubble!" She let loose a stream of glittering orbs, flying at the Grass-type with incredible speed.

"Tyke! Quick, use Withdraw!" Tyke only had the time to withdraw his legs and head a fourth of the way before Glacie's Bubble attack exploded around him, creating an instant dust cloud.

"Now, Pound him!" I instructed, and Glacie threw herself into the smoke, obscuring my vision. I heard a thump and Tyke's shell slid out into the open, and the turtle revealed himself. Glacie leapt out of the cloud and landed on Tyke's back.

"Watch it! Buck her off! Then Tackle her!" Tyke immediately began throwing himself around the field, making sharp turns and jumping into the air. My Piplup was trying her very hardest to remain on the turtle's shell, and I racked my brain for something to do.

"Um... Try using Growl!" Glacie let out that terrifying gutteral rumble, coming from deep within her throat, and Tyke skidded to a halt. "Good, now get off!" She leapt to the ground, and kicked Tyke in the head for good measure.

"No! Tackle!" Barry was clearly getting frustrated at the assault his Pokemon was taking; his face was getting red and he was stamping his feet. Tyke scrambled to his feet and hurled himself at Glacie, ramming her to the ground.

"Bubble!" Glacie spewed a jet of bubbles... right into Tyke's face. The Twig Pokemon let out a cry and reared back. I felt satisfaction well up inside of me and I sighed. I might just win this battle. But that wasn't all Barry had brought.

Tyke opened his mouth and a sharp, red beam of light shot out of it. It enveloped Glacie and I could physically see her weakening, her stance becoming weary, her breaths becoming heavier. And it looked like Tyke was getting stronger, straightening and rotating his shoulders. I gulped. This was looking bad. I recognized the move as Absorb, a grass-type move that was especially harmful to my Water-type Piplup. In other words, it did a lot more damage to her than, let's say, Bubble did to Tyke.

And then the slightly painful sound of the whistle filled my ears, giving me a start.

"Congradulations! Both opponents managed to keep their Pokemon from fainting throughout the course of the battle!" The judge called out as Barry and I stared at him. Then I noticed the large timer on the side of the building. It must've been counting down the required time limit as the battle went on. Huh.

"Please go to the registration desk to recieve your liscenses." I blinked. We had done it!

* * *

><p>After Barry and I had finished with our hugs and slaps on the back and other forms of congradulating each other, we did as we were told and retrieved out trainer cards. I happily studied the small sheet of pink and white plastic. I had also obtained a badge case from the registraion clerk. Maybe I would challenge the gyms. That would be fun.<p>

Satisfied, I said my goodbyes to Barry and headed back to the Pokemon Center. Picking up my bag from the Police Station, I contemplated where I would go next.

Thinking back to my journal, I recalled the first gym that trainers always went to; the one stationed in Oreburgh. I'd go there next. Fight a gym. Have an adventure.

Oddly enough, by the end of the day, I felt that my journey had only just begun.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, first off, I'll apologize for glossing over that last part and the battle. I'll go back and revise it later, I promise, so no whining for now. I was really, really happy with the first half, and not so happy with the second. I'm sorry.<em>

_*Gasp* There was an actual swear word in this one! Hide the children!_

_Mr. Carrow ended up being the... oddest character I've ever created. No, he will not make another appearence. No, the Straiton Trio will not make another appearence. I always felt that, in order to become a Gym leader, you had to apply, and fill out a certain number of community hours or something. Meh, I just like those guys. And this was several years before they became gym leaders. Why they were in Sinnoh... Your choice. A police station seems like the kind of place they'd work at. Just, use your imagination. Yes, I know that Carrow should've been able to recognize Stella, but, well... Use your imagination. We're all on Fanfiction, we all got imaginations._

_Stella is important. Remember her. Anyone care to guess who she is? I'll give you a virtual hug._

_The next chapter's deadline will be April 5. I'm giving myself some time- next chapter'll be a long one, with some new characters to boot. On to the responses!_

_Pure Gamer: Thanks, and did it seem like that was implied? I'm sorry. No, she'll still take on the gyms. Just you wait. :)_

_The Last Dragonite: Yeah, I just wanted to defend myself, or something. I don't even know. I'm glad you like Falon. Don't be embarrassed for having a Shinx plush; I myself have a Pikachu plushie that I go to sleep with as well. (Well, who else will Thundershock all the monsters under my bed?) I don't want to know about the ping-pong thing. I just don't want to know. Thanks!_

_palad1n: I know right? Finally, after like, what, five months? Thanks, I'm glad that so many people like Falon!_

_just-a-chic: Yes, this is a novelization of Platinum, but I'm adding to the plot, jumbling things around, and adding experiences and such, because, frankly, if I stuck to just what happened in the game, the story would get kind of boring, wouldn't it? I personally like the new title, Palladium isn't a common title like Platinum Adventures. It's also unique in general. For example, did you know that Palladium is the only element on the Periodic Table that has no valence electrons? I'll think on other options, but unless I think of something totally amazing, I'll just stick with this. And don't worry about hurting my feelings. I'm a passive person, so you'd have to work very, very hard if you wanted to insult me. I'm kind of glad that you asked these questions, 'cause it means you're interested! Romance? Between whom? No promises on that, I'm not sure myself. You don't have to like Falon. She is a bit of a jerk. To your second review, I'm so sorry, I was super duper uber busy. Just know that I wil never, not in a million, bazillion, googleplexillion years, EVER discontinue a fic. I have a theory that if people really, really like this, then they won't forget about it._

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Thank you! There will (probably) be many more mysterious twists in the future, so stay tuned!_

_mangaanimefan4eva: Good to hear._

_Alphinia: I apologize for this extremely late update. Thanks for all the support, I appreciate it! Yes, Platinum Adventures was temporary from the very beginning, and when I looked, only one other Pokemon fic has a title with Palladium in it. Yes, there is definately more to Falon than meets the eye. More on that later. I hope I get to update soon, too!_

_Katieisawesome: Yes, that's on of two theories. One) They're so suprised that they were beaten that they faint and you steal their wallet, and Two) you sick your not so defensless pets on them and knock 'em out, then steal their wallet. Either way, you end up with their wallet. And, thank you so much. I'm so glad you like this so much. Mmm, chicken wings..._

_UR PAL: Don't worry; I will never, ever, EVER discontinue a fic. I may take a long time to update, but I'll never give up._

_mikk317: Thank you! I'm not going to give up. Ever. Go ahead, I'll use my magical hugging powers to turn the Sableye into the nonferal cute things they usually are. I write at a snail's pace. I'm sorry. But thanks for the compliment!_

_Anybody care to review?_

_Also, a more serious question; anybody know a good beta reader and/or would anybody be willing to beta read this?_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_

_EDIT: I changed Ranse to Ransei, the English version of the region in Pokemon Conquest (the new crossover game that I'm unbelievably excited about). Since the game takes place in feudal times, I'll change it if it is ever discovered that it turns into one of the present modern day regions._


	13. The Rocky Road to Oreburgh City, Part 1

_Right! Finally! This is a rather short chapter, sorry. And it's a divided chapter too. Sorry again. All I can say is that I'm working on the next chapter AT THIS MOMENT. Hopefully it won't take me as long to update._

_This chapter was beta-read by The Last Dragonite. Read his fics! They're awesome!_

_Shoutouts to mikk317, The Last Dragonite, Rogue Krayt Dragon, Pure Gamer, palad1n, just-a-chic, Rainbow Renegade, and UR PAL._

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 11: The Rocky Road to Oreburgh City, Part 1~<em>

Falon and I left Jubilife at dawn.

...But not really. We left about fifteen minutes after eleven, after going to the mart and buying some essentials such as pokeballs, food and water. We had estimated the trip to Oreburgh to take about two to three days, if we moved fast and didn't run into any trouble. I used more of what little remaining money I had.

Instead of a forest, we walked along a well-worn path cutting through light woods. The trees sheltered us from the sunlight, which, autumn or not, would've been uncomfortably hot. The rainbows of leaves left dappled patterns on the ground, which I couldn't help but stare at as we trekked in silence. I felt aware of everything going on around me, from the heft of my backpack on my shoulder, to my violin case weighing down my left arm, to the curious Bidoof peering at us from their dens. Even through my rubber-soled rainboots, I could feel every pebble and every blade of grass I stepped on.

I thought back to the voice by the lake. Maybe that was making me more aware somehow. Then that vision. I was beginning to refer to it that way, and accept that something extraordinary had occurred. All I knew was that I could never come up with that on my own. I hadn't even begun to make sense of all of that. The rumors from Twinleaf Town suggested that I had seen my past (check), my present (check), and my future... Maybe check? I guess I'd have to wait and see.

But the voice from the lake perplexed me. My ears had heard an animalistic cry, but I knew, _I knew_, I had heard something say hello. Glacie and Barry had heard it too, but I don't think that either of them had heard the voice, or been as affected as I had been. The voice was... full of emotion. That's a crude way to describe it, but it was. It could've just been me, but something inside of me had formed since. Formed... Grown. Maybe it was my adventurous instinct, I mused. Anything was possible.

I'll bet you're wondering why I chose then to contemplate all that had happened to me. Simple. Have you ever just taken a walk through the woods, peaceful and serene, with nothing disturbing the tranquility of the swaying leaves, the birds singing? It's a great chance to think. Or, at least, so I thought.

I thought back to the vision. To the things I had seen. The images of the 'future' to be precise. The first image. A yellow iris. My mind immediately flew back to Lucy Knight. Her eyes were the same exact color as in the vision, a soft banana lollipop yellow. Delicate and fragile. But then again, as little as I knew Lucy, I was almost certain that she wasn't 'delicate' or 'fragile.' A little tender, or sensitive maybe, or just plain wacky, but not needy in the slightest. And the blue hair (also the same hue as Lucy's) was short. So unless the heiress decided to get a haircut anytime soon, that couldn't possibly be her. Could it? I clutched my head in distress, but realized that it probably looked weird and just kept a finger lightly on my temple, a soothing reassurance. Then there was the second image. Burgundy hair, a sly smirk. It rang no bells in my head, so I gave up and moved on. The blonde braid and a pink eye. That also had no familiarity to it. I sighed in frustration. The worst possible thing about knowing your future was that you _knew_ what was going to happen; yet you didn't _know._ You had an idea, but not the whole piece. Like a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle, except that you had the missing piece, and couldn't locate your puzzle. A shape of light, reforming and retracting to create something new. Why was that so familiar? I racked my brain for an answer, but couldn't think of anything.

The smashed pieces of wood, lying on some rocky ground. The wood... Again, it rang so many bells, yet they sounded as if from a distance, unclear and blurry, flat and sharp. My hat, falling from some tremendous height. My only consolation was that I hadn't seen myself falling with it. A pillar of light... Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. But... Why? Had I somehow managed to conjure all of this up in a great conspiracal hallucination?

I was jolted out of my thoughts when Falon elbowed me. Not hard enough to hurt, just enough to make me stumble to the side while she choked out a laugh. Her expression sobered almost immediately, to my interest.

"Hey," she began. I quirked an eyebrow and nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Something's wrong?" Falon glared at me, and I lifted my other eyebrow. "You're so quiet today."

"What's wrong with that?" I snapped, though I instantly felt embarrassed. She was right. I was being quiet, and it probably worried my companion. I wasn't the loudest person, but I really wasn't quiet either. In between. That described me somewhat.

She was silent, looking at me with a confused expression spelled out on her face. She had pulled her hair into a bushy ponytail, and it was frizzing for some weird reason. Her head was literally surrounded by a religious-looking halo of fire, just like the paintings of proverbial beings in churches. I went to church every Sunday with my mom, sat through the sermons, learned about how Arceus created the universe, common stuff. I came back to the present.

"I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well," I explained, and I hadn't. I had tossed and turned all night, waking up at hour intervals and never getting comfortable. It had made me irritable, and it wasn't Falon's fault. Of course, the lack of sleep is one of the things that had spurred my thoughtfulness; I had had plenty of time to think about what I was doing. I had told Falon that I was going to challenge the gyms when I got back to the Pokemon Center, and during the night I had realized that I really did want to take the Gym Challenge. It was something Barry and I had talked about before, and I even recalled making a bet with him about which of us would become Champion first. I didn't know about Champion, but I sure as heck wasn't going to let my new rival outdo me.

Falon nodded in understanding and we continued on in a slightly awkward silence. I submerged myself into a state of semi-consciousness, my eyelids drooping and my shoulders sagging. The events of the past few days and my (hopefully) temporary insomnia were taking their toll. Have you ever had one of those moments where you close your eyes in class, then snap them open in a rush because you think you fell asleep, when, in reality, you had dozed off for maybe ten seconds? That was what the first quarter or so of this day was like.

After my moment of revelation escaped me, I struggled to keep my eyes open. I stumbled several times, blinking awake, startled, and remaining alert for maybe five minutes, then sleep and rest would tantalize me some more. Rinse and repeat. A vicious cycle.

Maybe an hour later, Falon herself must have been feeling pretty bored, so she struck up a conversation and managed to keep me awake for the rest of the afternoon. It made me realize how nice it was to have a companion with you. Conversation. Keeping awake. This is what friends are for.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, we stopped for lunch on the side of the trail. We let our Pokemon out of their red and white homes, and ate our store-bought PB&amp;J sandwiches. It was then that I heard a peculiar sound. Nobody else noticed, as Glacie and Shalloe were having a heated discussion about something, though I guessed it food-related by the way my Piplup was gesturing wildly to their pokechow with her flippers. Naruto was dozing off, his head resting on Falon's outstretched calf, while she flipped absentmindedly through her Pokedex. But I heard it. I was in mid-bite into my sandwich, and as I looked up, I could feel the peanut butter glue my tongue to the roof of my mouth.<p>

It was a cry, but more of a wail than anything. Sort of a childish sob, the kind you'd expect to hear in a supermarket when a little kid didn't get their way. I frowned and stood up, deciding which way the screech had come from. Acting on instinct, I grabbed my bag and motioned for Glacie to come. I tiptoed off into the woods, when Falon noticed my retreat.

"Where are you going?" She called after me, but in a tone of voice that told me she really didn't care too much. Not in the obnoxious way, but more in the fashion of "I'm too comfortable to put any effort into sounding concerned," type.

"Um... Nowhere, I just thought I heard something. I'll be right back. Watch my violin," were my parting words as I crept into the thin trees.

I hadn't gone far when... whatever it was sobbed again, sounding much closer. In fact, if I hadn't known better, I would've said it was right on top of me. I wandered around in circles, hoping to stumble across the creature, but every time it wailed, it sounded like it hadn't moved, as if _I_ hadn't moved. Finally, exasperated, I sighed, glancing up at the distorted sky and the canopy of colorful leaves. And blinked.

Because there, I had found the source of the terrible, heart wrenching cries. Up in a tree, a massive ancient pine, a tiny green bud-like creature was sniffling, trembling in fright. A Budew. The common grass type was familiar to me, as it should be to any Pokemon lover with any pride, but I still pulled out my Pokedex before it noticed me.

"Budew. The Bud Pokemon. Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun's warm touch," I read quietly. Thankful that I had turned off the automatic voice recording of every Pokedex entry, I slipped it back into my pocket and addressed the current situation. I exchanged a glance with Glacie, unsure of what to do. I obviously had to get the little creature down, just... how?

It was then that the Budew noticed my Pokemon and me. Blinking green-tinted tears out of its eyes, it blinked several times and let out one more heartbreaking sob.

_"Help!"_

I reeled back in shock. Did I just hear that Budew... Speak? No, I shook my head to clear my thoughts. That's impossible. I was hearing things. The lack of sleep was catching up to me. I was going crazy. Excuses and rationalizations piled into my brain, attempting to slow my pulse and calm my breathing, but I wasn't having it. I was in a state of perpetual shock. Pokemon. Didn't. Talk. It was impossible. Completely and totally.

"Bud! Bud-Budeeeeew!" I blinked several times and exhaled quietly. It was the sleep deprivation after all.

"Pip?" Glacie shot me a concerned glance and I nodded. She shrugged. "Pip! Piplup-lup?" She called up to the canopy where the Budew was regaining its breath after all of its crying. But instead of replying, the tiny bud's bottom lip trembled and it broke into another ear-splitting wail. I covered my ears, cringing. Before, the Pokemon's cries had been loud, but this rattled my eardrums.

I spared a glance at Glacie, to discover that she had taken the sob of fear as an insult. She was now swelling in anger and shooting a look that was half glare and half expectation at me. I realized she wanted orders. I blinked, not sure of myself. Was it right to attack a poor defenseless baby Pokemon? Then again, it was a wonderful opportunity to expand my team. I nodded.

"Glacie, use Growl!" I chose on a whim, hoping it would somehow magically retrieve the terrified Budew from the boughs of the pine. Glacie frowned, realizing that the move I had selected probably wouldn't do anything. She let loose a guttural snarl from deep within her throat. That's loyalty for you.

The Budew stilled for a moment. I followed its example, praying that somehow a miracle had struck and it would decide to come down. But no. It just continued its wailing after a moment, except now, it was amplified tenfold. I covered my ears, and noticed Glacie doing the same. The bloodcurdling screech was piercing my eardrums, my brain, and my very sanity, and I couldn't take it. It was similar to a fire alarm. A very _loud _fire alarm. One that wouldn't stop.

Cringing, cracking under the pressure of noise, I began another command. "_Glacie! Tackle something!_" A bit of a tactless strategy, but it proved effective. Desperate to stop the racket assaulting our ears, she hurled herself against the pine. I flinched, imagining what kind of bump that would create. But those thoughts were lost to the slight breeze as a tremble ran up the trunk and the Budew stopped, wobbling on its rather precarious branch. My eyes widened, as I waited in anticipation for something to happen.

The Budew let out a cry and stumbled from its branch, flailing and plummeting towards the forest floor thirty feet below. My stomach dropped to the soles of my rainboots as my heart caught in my forehead. I stepped forward, my body no longer in my control. And soon I was skidding and sliding for the last ten feet between myself and the startled baby Pokemon, sending leaves flying and pebbles soaring. I probably scraped up my knees, but my mind was far from that. All I could think of was catching that poor Budew before it lay smushed on the hard, merciless ground. The last few seconds were in slow motion. I stretched out my arms, prepared for the Budew to landing in my fingertips. But I was too late. I could see it myself...

And then I couldn't. For a moment, all I could see was shining, clear orbs shimmering with too many colors to name, flying at an astounding rate. Then they connected with the falling blur of green, snatching the Budew out of midair, slowing the freefall for a split second. My gaze was obscured by a giant puff of dust and smoke, and as I slid to a halt, right where the Budew would have landed, the Bud Pokemon fell from the sky, right into my outstretched arms. And unconscious.

Time returned to its normal pace. I abruptly sat up, cradling the baby in my arms. Quickly assessing that it was breathing, I hurried to my bag, digging through the overstuffed clutter of knick-knacks and various items in a rush to find a potion. I wasn't sure if the tiny Bud was hurt or not, but I really wasn't willing to take a chance. I'd heard all the horror stories, seen all the Pokemon adoption commercials. The innocent, unfortunate dead Pokemon at the hands of a cruel and neglectful trainer. No. I wouldn't let any of my Pokemon get hurt. Not that the petite Budew was my Pokemon yet.

I scooped out a potion in one swift movement, popped the cap off of the purple spray bottle, and spritzed the Pokemon at a wide range. Whirling around, I beckoned Glacie over, who was currently standing at the base of the tree, unsure of what to do. As she padded over, I rubbed her head and looked into her eyes.

"You saved this Budew, Glacie," I told her, making her turn a rather interesting shade of pink. "I'm proud of you."

It was a lovely moment. It was one of those still seconds in time that you wanted to pause, and keep replaying and replaying, because everything was nice and pretty, and nothing had gone horribly wrong yet.

Of course, those moments have to end somewhere, right? And so, when the Budew stirred, seconds later, I reached once more into my bag and pulled out a pokeball. When the Budew was slowly opening its eyes, I pressed the pokeball to its forehead. It snapped open, surprising me, and the Budew was enveloped in red light, which deformed and disappeared into the red and white orb.

The pokeball shook three times, and then a click was heard from inside the mechanism.

I sighed with relief. The Budew was safe, and I had gotten a Budew out of it.

* * *

><p>"You know, you're going to have to take that Budew out eventually," Falon informed me, munching on a cold microwave meal. I told her about my new addition when I got back to the road, to which she'd responded "So when are you going to take it out?" At that, I had acquired a nervous twinge in my belly and a cold feeling in my toes. I dropped the subject.<p>

And so, now, in the start of the evening, we were making camp and Falon reminded me that the Budew needed dinner too. I gulped, holding the Grass-type's pokeball, scrutinizing it in my hand. What was I afraid of? After careful consideration, I decided that I was afraid the Budew would be afraid of _me._ Of course, I knew there was a pretty big chance of that being the case. A random girl appears at the base of your tree, knocks you out of your tree, and captures you. I wouldn't like anyone that did that to me. I swallowed audibly once more.

"Dawn," I continued staring at the pokeball, no doubt a very intense look plastered on my face. "Dawn," I heard Glacie having a conversation with Naruto in the background, Shalloe chirping her input every once in a while. I was still staring at the ball. I was a statue, sitting there while life went on without me, and I was frozen in stone. And writhing inside that cool marble was a variety of conflicting emotions, at war with one another, and none showed any signs of conceding defeat. Anxiety about what would happen if I let the Budew out. Would it reject me? What would I do if it did? Confusion; what was I going to do? What if that Budew had a family? Should I release it? And finally, joy. At catching my first Pokemon, at becoming a _real _trainer. That catches and trains Pokemon in hopes of being the best.

Really, it wasn't all that dramatic. In reality, I was sitting on a smooth gray rock, trying not to get moss all over my skirt, staring at a pokeball while Falon was waving her hand in front of my face, trying to get me to snap out of my thoughts.

"Hey! Earth to Dawn! Wake up!" Falon snapped her fingers a couple of times, and I blinked. "HEY DAW-"

"Enough! I'm fine!" I shot back, rubbing my right ear, which Falon had screamed into. She sat back, satisfied, and looked at me expectantly.

"So?"

"Um," I hesitated, looking wildly around for a subject or direction to point the conversation in. I looked up at the sky. Storm clouds were gathering high in the sky, blocking any cheeriness that was previously held in the atmosphere. The swirls of gray and black, and in some places purple almost blue, made me shiver involuntarily. The clouds were twisting and writhing, squirming almost animalistically, like there was a great beast trapped up there, itching to get out and wreak havoc among the innocent, sunlight-dwelling population. "It looks like it's going to rain," I commented absentmindedly. Falon glanced up as well, and her eyebrows furrowed.

As if on cue, a single raindrop plummeted from the sky and landed with a _plop!_ In between my eyes. I blinked in surprise as another speck of water fell, landing on my chin. And another one. And another one. I glanced over at Falon, and noticed that she hadn't made the connection yet, a confused look plastered on her face as raindrop after raindrop hit her. Finally she straightened with a jolt and glanced at me, panicked, as the water began to fall faster, and more plentiful.

"Get the stuff!" I nodded urgently, scooping up my things that were lying about and stuffing them haphazardly into my duffel. I was about to withdraw Glacie, but changed my mind. She was a Water-type; she'd probably enjoy the soaking Falon and I were about to experience.

I whirled around, seeing that Falon had gathered her stuff and withdrawn Naruto. "Run!" I shouted as water began to soak through my hat, dampening my hair and dripping off of my hair clips. And we took off. Running as fast as possible to the main path, we sprinted down the road, not caring when we splashed through a grimy puddle, sending filthy water flying. Rainwater was everywhere, soaking us and chilling us to the bone. Glacie, surprisingly, managed to keep up with the pace we set, which was relatively fast, considering both Falon and I had to work hard to not fall face-first into the muddy ground.

_What is the point of wearing rainboots, _I thought,_ if the water just falls _into_ them?_

Water sloshed around in the rubber shoes, sending chills up my spine and weighing my feet down. I took notice of Falon letting out a very long stream of curse words as we raced down the path, praying for shelter to come soon. I don't think that Glacie was pleased. She probably didn't understand that rain (or any form of water) could be a bad thing, and therefore wasn't comprehending why we were trying to escape the downpour.

I was being pelted so hard, little bullets of water grazing my skin, that I nearly forgot that I was still holding the Budew's pokeball in my hand. Actually, I had forgotten until I stumbled, causing me to drop it. And, to my dismay, the ball bounced up once and popped open, and in a flash of light, the Budew was standing there, its pokeball rolling away.

The Budew and I looked into each other's eyes, neither making a move. Suddenly, fear grew in the frail Pokemon's eyes, and it let out a sob and began running away, into the shallow forest. My jaw dropped and I immediately chased after it, unable to think. A clap of thunder boomed overhead, drowning out my thoughts as I caught a glimpse of lightening in the corner of my eye.

"Wait! Don't run! I promise I won't knock you out of a tree again!" My rather imbecilic words were drowned out in the thunder of the downpour. I skidded to a halt and squinted, trying to make out the path it took. I spit water out of my mouth as it flowed down my face, into my eyes, obscuring everything in a veil of freezing tears of the sky. "Glacie!" I shouted once again, taking off into the forest and praying that my Piplup heard me. I splashed through the woods as quickly as I could. By now, I had lost any and all traces of the tiny grass-type, and was fueled simply by desperation and fear that the first Pokemon I caught would be lost forever in a tremendous storm.

Relief swelled inside of me as I heard the pitter-pattering of Glacie's hurried footsteps behind me, my ears straining to pick up any sounds over the din. And then I heard it. A squeal, a small, tiny one, but it was undoubtedly one of my Budew's. I raced toward the sound, bursting out into a clearing, where I saw my Budew rocket into a gorse bush. Without hesitation, I propelled myself into the tangle of leaves, and thanks to the slipperiness of the ground, courtesy of Mother Nature, I slipped and slid into the bush at breakneck speed.

And collided with something. Hard.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

My yelp was matched exactly as I bonked my forehead on something – someone, and my eyes (previously closed due to terror) flew open in shock. And the first thing my eyes saw?

A pair of banana-lollipop eyes.

* * *

><p><em>I'm going to be on a train for the next seventeen hours, so I'll be getting some writing done. Wish me luck, and I promise to update as soon as I can! So, not much more to say. Reviewer responses!<em>

_I think I screwed up Stella's description last chapter. I'll fix that._

_mikk317: Nothing says magical like hugs. Thank you! I wanted to do something interesting in that chapter, and what can I say? I was replaying Pokemon Black. Those three just stood out. Also, thank you for guessing (hug!), but no, she's not Mars._

_The Last Dragonite: Well, happy early birthday! I'm glad you liked the chapter! Well, all I can say is that you'll find out what happened to Johanna's kitchen eventually. Sorry, Stella's not Mars (but hugs for guessing). And thanks!_

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Thank you! I'll always try to hide in some Doctor Who reference. That was one of my favorite episodes. It got me at "My poncho boys."_

_Pure Gamer: Thanks so much! I've missed this story too._

_palad1n: I'm glad you like Lucy! Although I'm not sure if that will change or not in later chapters. I really wanted to overlap the two games._

_just-a-chic: I didn't hurry at all. Sorry! I'll try to make the next update faster._

_Rainbow Renegade: Thank you so much! That means so much to me, I really appreciate it. Yeah, I tend to go MIA occasionally. I'll try not to do that again._

_UR PAL: So sorry! I'll try really hard to update as soon as possible!_


	14. The Rocky Road to Oreburgh City, Part 2

_Finally! I'd like to say I'm quite happy with this chapter, even though it was pretty much completely filler. I promise, it's going to pick up soon._

_I should've said last chapter that this fic is beta-read by The Last Dragonite, instead of just last chapter. My bad._

_Lot's of flashbacks in this one. I hope it makes sense._

_Shoutouts to Youngster Joey, The Last Dragonite (x2), and Rogue Krayt Dragon!_

* * *

><p><em>~Chapter 11.5: The Rocky Road to Oreburgh City, Part 2~<em>

"Well, this is just amazing. How did you manage to run into my _brother_, of all people?" Lucy Knight asked me, an amazed smile on her face. Yes. Lucille Knight. Again. What made this family magnetize to me?

Currently, Falon and I were sitting in her living room, a towel around both of our necks, a mug of hot chocolate in our hands. The person I happened to run into? Her brother. Who was also sitting in her living room.

Cecil Knight was thirteen years old, just over five feet six inches tall, and he looked so completely and totally like his sister, it was almost frightening. He was sitting on the plush blue sofa next to his sister, a wide-eyed and bewildered look on his face. His innocent yellow eyes glanced around the room awkwardly, and he scratched his head, which was framed by short, wet blue hair. Cecil also had a towel wrapped around his neck.

"Well, it wasn't planned," I assured her. I myself couldn't quite believe what had happened.

* * *

><p><em>I jumped back in fright, startled by the eyes staring right into mine. The offending pair of eyes, and the person who was attached to them, mimicked me, and I heard an "Ow!" from behind the bush. I blinked more water out of my eyes, struggling to make sense of what happened.<em>

"_Piplup-pip? Lup-pip piplup!" Glacie's face was etched in concern, and I nodded and gave a small smile in return._

"_I'm fine," the smile disappeared as I stood, brushed some of the mud and leaves off of my coat and peered over the bush. My eyes widened as I saw what sat on the ground: a boy, clutching his head in one hand and my Budew in the other. The boy glanced up and I stared into his soft yellow eyes, a stunned look on both our faces._

* * *

><p>"I think it's amazing, how coincidental all this is," Lucy leaned forward, a gleam in her eyes. "Tell me. Are you sure that you're not some sort of paparazzi, trying to sneak into our house?" She joked, and I chuckled uncomfortably.<p>

"No, this was a complete accident."

"Well, I'm glad my brother was nice enough to offer to take you here. I've taught him well." Lucy smiled warmly at her brother, contrasting the lightning flashes and explosions of thunder from outside the large windows (that looked way too fragile to hold off the tumult of rage and water outside). Cecil's cheeks turned pink from his sister's praise, and he gave Lucy a small, shy smile.

"Yeah, that was nice of him. I'm just surprised that Dawn and I found the same place." Falon added, shaking out her massive red hair and complaining that it was too long under her breath.

* * *

><p>"<em>Who… What?" The boy was the first to speak, a confused and startled expression plastered across his face. I was still staring at him – well, really I was staring at my Budew, cradled in his thin arms. He quickly noticed my line of sight and stared at the Budew, who was unconscious for some reason. The poor thing probably fainted. "Is she yours?"<em>

"_How do you know it's a she?" I asked, puzzled by the strange kid._

"_Her skirt is longer. On males, the skirt is short."_

"_Oh," I blinked. I really should have known that. Embarrassment burned in my cheeks as I nodded. "Yeah, she's mine." The boy's brows furrowed, and he looked at me with suspicion in his eyes, along with a shyness that had been there from the beginning._

"_Then why was she running away?" He asked, though it was more of an accusation._

"_Well, she might be scared of me. But," I added when I noticed the shock and anger written clearly across his face, "I only caught her today." The boy visibly relaxed, and he fidgeted, awkwardness plain in his body language._

"_Oh. Um," he held the Budew out to me shyly, "here you go." I grabbed the Bud Pokemon with both hands, and fished through my pockets (now filled with water) for her pokeball._

"_Ugh, where did I put –" I cut off with a gasp, and slapped my forehead with my hand, sending water droplets flying. The last I had seen of the Budew's pokeball was when it was bouncing away from the road as Falon and I were running, when it released the Budew._

"_Are you okay?" The boy asked, part curious and part afraid, while blinking freezing rainwater out of his eyes. He was probably scared that he had happened to run into some crazy girl in the middle of a terrible storm. What luck he must have._

"_Yeah," I sighed, exasperated. Now I was going to have to backtrack and search all over, in the downpour (which hadn't eased in the slightest), for a small orb that was three inches in diameter, in a thunderstorm_. Fun_. "I just have to go find her pokeball." The boy jumped up, and I was hit with more raindrops sent flying by his movement._

"_Hey, have you seen a Kricketot? His name is Teddy and he's about a foot tall and he, well, looks like a Kricketot. Have you seen him?" And now I had my answer as to why this boy was out in a storm. I looked at him oddly. Maybe I was the one to stumble across a crazy person. But I scolded myself for not giving him enough credit. He was out here, soaked to the bone, looking for his friend._

_I took another look at the boy. His hair was a dark turquoise, which I guessed might be a teal-blue when it was dry. His clothes didn't look like something you'd want to travel in. His shirt was a button-down, with a looked-to-be-once-pressed collar. It was yellow in hue, darker than his eyes, though I guess they would be the same color under sunlight. His pants were brown and fancy, similar to those you would wear with a suit, and they were secured with a black leather belt. His shoes perplexed me. Black and leather as well, they were the type you'd see on a businessman, not a teenager that might be younger than myself._

"_No, I haven't seen a Kricketot anywhere, sorry. Have you seen a pokeball?"_

"_No. What's your name?" He sighed before asking me what my name was. Clearly he was hoping I seen his Pokemon. I felt bad for the kid._

"_Dawn."_

"_Nice to meet you. I'm Cecil."_

* * *

><p>I looked around the Knights' living area. It was pretty much something you'd expect from a wealthy family. A large marble fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, and tongues of fire lapped up at the stone chimney, masking the room in an orange filter.<p>

Above the fireplace hung a portrait of all four members of the Knight family. Sharing the center spotlight, Sophia and Gregory Knight stood side by side, both in crisp, pressed business suits. They matched in more ways than one. Both of them had teal blue hair (although Gregory's was darker) and yellow eyes, though Sophia's were brighter. Mr. Knight's face was sturdier and his cheekbones and jaw line were angular, but his wife had softer features (both of their children took after their mother, though Lucy showed signs of her father, with her straight, angular nose). They both had calming smiles on their faces. In front of them sat (in matching, ornately carved antique chairs) Lucy and Cecil. The siblings were not wearing business suits, but their clothes were significantly expensive looking. The entire family looked warm and welcoming, yet also classy and cool.

"Well, miracle aside, you're all soaked." Lucy stated the obvious. "Dawn, Falon, do you have any dry clothes?" We shook our heads – no. When we had arrived, a maid (the only one in the residence) had taken our backpacks (or duffel bag, in my case) and presumably emptied them of our stuff to dry. So the only thing we had at our disposal was the clothes on our backs. Our pokeballs had also been taken and put in a machine (much like ones in poké centers) so that our companions could rest for the night. "Right. You both look to be the same size as me. You can borrow something of mine. Let's all go get changed and meet up in our living room. You will stay the night, of course?" Falon and I exchanged glances and nodded. Heck yes we wanted to stay in a luxurious summer home belonging to one of the richest families in Sinnoh.

A butler arrived immediately in one of the four arched doorways of the room, beckoning for Falon and I to follow. We set our mugs down and followed obediently.

We were each given a set of pajamas and led to guest rooms right across from each other in a carpeted, fancy hallway. I didn't even think hallways could look fancy. The rooms were nice, but obviously not used often. The bed, night stand, dresser, everything smelled of lemons, indicating that they were freshly cleaned.

After I changed, I met up with Falon in the hall. Unsure as to how to get back to the living room, we walked in a random direction until we ran into somebody. That somebody happened to be Cecil.

"Hey!" Falon barked, surprising the boy whose back was previously facing us. He whirled around in surprise and squirmed in discomfort when he saw who it was. I'm not sure what made the boy so shy, especially since him and myself had been previously acquainted.

* * *

><p>"<em>So, uh, why are you here?" Cecil asked me awkwardly as we trekked through the downpour, searching for both his Kricketot and my pokeball. I was worried about the Budew, who was still cradled in my arms. She had been out cold (the reason still unknown) for quite a while, without showing signs of waking anytime soon. My best guess was that she was young – after all, didn't babies and kids sleep for a large percentage of the day? That, coupled with some information I obtained via Internet stating that younger Grass-type Pokemon (especially in the wild) usually slept a lot, due to the fact that they needed to grow in order to survive, made sense. Although this tidbit barely managed to dent my growing worry.<em>

_Another cause for anxiety would be my missing companion. When I ran off in pursuit of my Budew, I assumed that Falon was right behind me. That was not so. Little to my knowledge, she continued running in a fruitless attempt to escape the onslaught of freezing raindrops. She was probably in the Oreburgh Gate by now. I didn't blame her for ditching me. In the tumult of water, electricity, and thunderous brain-scrambling noise, one could only worry about putting one foot ahead of another and not tripping, which would result in a muddy, possibly injured mess. My conclusion; she didn't hear me. So, Falon carried on down the path to Oreburgh, assuming that _I _was right behind_ her._ Ha._

"_I'm looking for my pokeball." I furrowed my brows. I was corrected when he shook his head. Oh. "I'm traveling to Oreburgh. What about you?"_

"_I'm staying in my family's house just over there," he pointed vaguely to the left. I stopped walking, a pending question on my mind._

"_Are you related to Lucy Knight?" I decided to be blunt. It works for some, why not me? Cecil skidded to a halt. If I thought the boy radiated awkwardness before, it was nothing compared to now._

"_Uh, yeaaah," he drew out the word, as if stalling the rest of his answer. But after a long moment, he blinked. "Did you just say Lucy?" I nodded, and a look of suspicion came over him, but then a look of consideration. "I'm her brother."_

_Cecil Knight. No wonder his name was so familiar. The name that previously slipped my mind rose to the surface._

"_How do you know her? No one calls her Lucy except for people that know her well."_

"_Well," I struggled to think of words to describe the previous days' events, "it was unintentional." Cecil stared at me, clearly hoping for more of an explanation that I was unable to give. Explaining something meant having a general knowledge about the topic first, and I really was as clueless as the next person when it came to the events of the previous days. How could I possibly hope to explain all that had happened to me_?

"_So then-" I never knew how Cecil would finish that sentence, because at that very moment, a stupendous clap of thunder boomed overhead, startling me and drowning out everything except the blood roaring in my ears. Beside me, Cecil jumped in fright. And he wasn't the only one. A shrub to our right rustled with a large force, and something colored red propelled itself out of the foliage and into our path. I saw only the flash of white and launched myself at it, securely clasping my soaked hands around a pokéball that I hoped was mine. But that wasn't the end. A squeal came from the bush (that sounded oddly like the sound a violin makes when put in the hands of a, Tyranitar) and a round red-and-cream organism hurled itself out of the shrub, bounced once on my head, and into Cecil's arms._

"_TEDDY! YOU'RE OKAY!" Cecil shrieked with joy, wrapping his arms around the collared Pokémon ecstatically. His grin stretched from ear to ear, and I thought I saw his eyes glistening with tears. But that may have been the rain._

* * *

><p>Really, Cecil's house wasn't that big. It was one of the Knight family's many summer homes, lying near a serene and glassy lake (or at least it was usually serene and glassy, when there wasn't a thunderstorm beating on its surface, shattering the watery mirror over and over).<p>

The Knights mainly reside in Hearthome City, but Cecil and Lucy decided to rendezvous at the lakeside house to catch up, away from the large cities, and to make preparations for Lucy's seventeenth birthday party in late November. Or so Cecil told me. The house, mostly unused, was cleaned up by the maid and butler that Falon and I had seen earlier. It was small, or rather small in terms of the size of a house one would normally expect from the Knights. Nevertheless, Falon and I still couldn't navigate it.

Cecil showed us the way to the living room. Well, really, he gave Falon and myself directions, and was about to show us, until Falon took off briskly down the hall and I followed. Cecil fell into step beside me. He was a tad smaller than I was, perhaps the same height, but we were both shorter than Falon. I examined him with a shrewd eye. My mind finally recognized the familiar hair hue and eye color and I halted in my tracks.

How on Earth had I not seen it before? Short blue hair, yellow eyes. Lucy didn't have that shy delicacy about her like Cecil did. Everything matched. Lucy wasn't the person I saw in the vision. Cecil was.

But what in Arceus' name did that _mean?_

"Dawn, are you okay?" I snapped out of my epiphany to meet Falon's inquisitive blue eyes, and looked around the corridor to see that both Cecil and Falon were staring at me oddly. I blinked.

"I'm fine," I said, and we continued on our way, my mind whirling and fizzing with the newly revealed information.

Eventually our small group came to a halt in a room different from the lavishly decorated one from before. Instead of leather couches, ornate walls with crisp white trim, and antique decorations, this one contained a fireplace (yet smaller and more homely), a couch (worn blue cotton), matching chairs, and a small teak coffee table. The walls were simple wooden paneling, and littered with pictures. There, one of young Cecil and Lucy, playing with a ball in a grassy yard. One of Gregory and Sophia, except Sophia's hair was a smoky brown and her eyes were a lively amber, and Gregory's eyes were a mischievous gray. A school picture of Lucy, twelve years old, her braces shining. Next to it was one of Cecil, probably ten, hugging a Lillipup. Cecil noticed me staring.

"That last room's just for show." he told me.

His words reminded me that true, the Knights were famous and wealthy, but they were a family as well. I noticed another picture, not unlike the one in the first sitting room, except Sophia's hair wasn't blue and her eye's weren't yellow (they were the same as in the picture next to it, brown and amber) and Gregory's eyes weren't banana (gray), and everyone looked infinitely more comfortable in normal clothes. They were sitting in front of a fountain, and a sign behind them read "Canalave Zoo."

I hadn't noticed Lucy sitting on the sofa. She beckoned us over to sit, so we did, Falon and I each taking a chair, Cecil taking his place by his sister.

"Well, now that you're all cleaned up, let's have some formal introductions. You all know me, I take it," she said with a light smile on her face. "Cecil, Dawn," she nodded to us in turn, "you two have met. Which leaves Cecil and Falon. Cecil, meet Falon. She's traveling with Dawn. Falon, Cecil," Cecil gave a small, timid wave, to which Falon nodded in recognition. After a short silence, Cecil piped up.

"So, you guys are travelling trainers?" Cecil asked us, a light in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Out of the corners of my eye, I noticed Lucy frown.

"Yeah. We're heading to Oreburgh to challenge the Gym." Falon explained.

"Have you faced any Gyms before?" Lucy asked, looking perplexed, and Cecil nodded, seemingly excited. I scratched the back of my head.

"No, not really…"

"Oh." Cecil looked disappointed, and he visibly slumped. Had he expected two experienced trainers? Falon frowned, looking insulted. I decided to change the topic of conversation before this got ugly.

"So, Cecil, are you a trainer?" I asked lightly, trying to disperse the slowly tensing atmosphere. It worked halfway. Falon relaxed, while Cecil frowned.

"No. I mean, I have Teddy, and I'm licensed and stuff, but I'm not travelling. I always wanted to, though." His eyes shone with a longing that I recognized – he clearly wanted to travel, and I couldn't blame him. Even after the weirdness and surprising difficulty the last few days had posed, I still would never give up my journey, as little as I'd done so far.

"Now, Cecil, we talked about-" Lucy began, but was cut off by my companion.

"If you want to travel _that _badly, you could always come with us."

For a moment, silence reigned over the room. I stared in surprise at Falon, slightly impressed. Who knew she would offer someone (who clearly wanted to see the region from the eyes of a trainer) the opportunity to travel with us. It seemed awfully humane of her. Falon in turn looked nonchalant, as if she had asked about the weather, or was telling someone she was running to the supermarket. Maybe she hadn't realized what she had asked. Surely becoming an official trainer on an official journey had been momentous for her as well?

Cecil himself was sitting stock still, his feelings unreadable from his body language. But I had had much practice with Barry, and I recognized the signs of emotion. Most prominent were his eyes. For a moment they became cloudy with confusion, then swirled with shock, and finally blazed with happiness.

Lucy was unreadable. She too sat still, but her eyes reflected surprise, and then hardened.

Finally, Cecil said something. "You… you mean it?" He asked the question cautiously, as if unsure of what he heard. Falon shrugged.

"Sure. Dawn?" She looked at me, assuring my acceptance. I nodded and smiled at Cecil. For a minute he looked like he was going to cry. I worried for his health, until he broke out into a grin.

"Yeah! I'd love to-"

"No." All heads in the room turned to Lucy, who had been silent until this point. Cecil glared at her with a mix of indignation and confusion.

"But sis-"

"I said no, Cecil. You know how we feel about this." I stared in shock. What was that tone she had used?

"But-" Cecil's voice became heavy with hopelessness, as if he knew he had lost the battle already.

"No is no, Cecil." Her words were unwaveringly cold, business-like, as if she were talking to a misbehaving employee, not her younger brother. Falon and I gaped at the scene unfolding before us in bewilderment.

Cecil stood, his fists clenched and trembling. Without a word or backwards glance, he raced out of the room. One thought raced through my head; what just happened? I glanced at Falon and saw it reflected on her features as well.

Lucy turned to us. I gulped. _Uh-oh,_ I thought. She didn't look happy.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't meddle in affairs that weren't yours to tamper with." She told us coldly. I shuddered. Where was the sweet, over-compensating girl I had seen just two days ago? She stood and prepared to leave, addressing us once more. "Please leave in the morning." It was an order. She stalked out of the room, leaving us with absolutely no inkling of what was going on.

* * *

><p>I didn't sleep well that night. I kept tossing and turning, my mind flying back to that conversation. Who was that Lucy that regarded her brother, her guests, with such chilly separation? I barely recognized the girl. True, I hadn't met her but several days before, but I still thought I knew what kind of person she was. She hadn't given any sort of warning that she had a different side like that. Or perhaps… Maybe Cecil was the one that made her act that way. It certainly was plausible. She had been perfectly pleasant until Falon had offered him to travel with us.<p>

Sighing, I put my thoughts and opinions about Lucy Knight on hold until I had a clearer mind and more evidence. I eventually drifted into a restless sleep, bad dreams echoed by the raging thunder outside.

* * *

><p>In the morning, Falon and I awoke to find our packs had been placed outside our doors, everything in it clean and dry or replaced, and our Pokemon were all well rested. I left feeling more confused than ever.<p>

The skies were cloudy, except a light, gloomy gray replaced the dreadful blackish-purple of last night. The ground was damp and a misty fog lined the trail to the Oreburgh Gate.

Trying to think about something pleasant, I pondered on how lucky Falon and I were to have landed in the same place. While she ran on when I was chasing my Budew, she noticed the summer home some ways off the path. Wanting to stay dry, she had taken a seat on the wrap-around porch until someone (Lucy) had noticed and invited her inside. To think, if it weren't for Cecil, I probably would've been stuck outside in the storm all night. If his Kricketot hadn't found my pokéball either, I would've been in major trouble, with a scared Budew and hundreds of yards of forest to cover.

We continued on down the road for the rest of the day, not speaking much. We ate lunch along the road around midday, in which I was faced with a new problem.

"You need to feed your Budew," Falon reminded me, and I sighed in both reluctance and an attempt to stall the conversation. "No stalling." _Dang it._ "Maybe she won't make an escape attempt this time," she added in an attempt to comfort me. It didn't really work.

With crossed fingers, as Glacie, Falon, and Falon's Pokémon looked on, I pulled out the Budew's pokéball and tossed it into the air. In a flash, the bud Pokémon was standing before me.

We regarded each other cautiously, the Budew regarding me with fear and uncertainty, and I regarding her with hesitation and uncertainty. At least we were united in something.

I decided to make the first move. Reaching slowly, my movements obvious as to not spook my Pokemon, I reached for my sandwich and broke off a piece of lettuce, which I silently and carefully held out in front of the Budew. She looked at me fearfully, but something connected between us as our eyes met. Maybe she realized that I didn't want to stick her up in a tree and leave her, or maybe she genuinely wanted to be my friend, or maybe she was just hungry, but she reached over and took a small bite of the lettuce. I exhaled in relief, and Falon clapped, both congratulatory and teasingly. I glared at her.

* * *

><p>After a restful though wary lunch, we finally came to the Oreburgh Gate, ahead of schedule. I stared blatantly at the somewhat massive cave opening in Mount Coronet. I gazed upward, at the gargantuan wall of solid rock that climbed as far as the eye could see and beyond, through the clouds and to the heavens themselves. If I squinted, I could see the faded words <em>Ut Arceus Benedic Itineris Tui<em> emblazoned above the cave mouth, which, even after looking at millions of ancient sayings and lines in church in archaic languages, I had no idea what this said. It was obvious that the words had something to do with Arceus, but I couldn't deduce much more than that.

I glanced up and to the north at the cloudy skies, where some blue was shining through, to catch a glimpse of the snowy peaks of Mount Coronet. I smiled. Very rarely did the clouds clustering around the caps of the mountain range part long enough to get a good, clear look at the tip of Coronet, but if you did, it was said that Arceus herself wished you luck. Luck on what was never specified. I took one last look upward and turned to Falon.

"Let's go?" She looked at me, startled, and I noticed she was pale and her skin looked clammy, and she glared at the Gate with a look that was distaste mingled with dread. I guess whatever it was didn't hinder her too much, because she nodded, gulped, and stalked inside. I followed.

Unlike the rather deserted Route 203, the Oreburgh Gate contained many human beings, and many took notice of my companion and myself. Most were friendly. There was a jolly-looking man near the entrance who was examining rocks and ores, from the look of his tool belt. When he saw us, he smiled, waved, and tossed me a gray and black speckled stone. I was unsure of what it was but I smiled and waved anyways. We passed a troop of young Starly Scouts examining something in a tunnel that branched off of the main path. The kids waved as we passed.

The Oreburgh Gate was longer than I thought, but the fact that the passage was well known and well used worked wonderfully. Lamps lit the way through the cave, lighting the correct path so that passers weren't confused as to which of the many paths was the correct one. Throughout the walk, Falon didn't say a word. I looked at her, and noticed her fists were clenched and she seemed to be counting under her breath.

We came across two people shrouded in shadows, as if hiding from the cheery lamps. I didn't spare many glances, because whenever I tried to get a good look at them, they would suddenly halt their hushed conversation, turn, and glare at me. What I did see was odd. Both had creepily similar pin-straight, sharply cut hair (I couldn't make out the color) and high-collared shirts. I couldn't discern much more than that. We walked past them, and I couldn't help but feel wary of the strangers. They had seemed a little bit more than menacing, and I was glad when we turned a bend and saw a bright light ahead.

"Falon, look!" I nudged her, earning a slightly startled jump. Then she saw the light ahead, and I saw a jovial grin like none other spread across her face. Without a word, she raced ahead of me, running as though a pack of rabid Beartic were at her heels.

I shook my head, smiled, and followed, towards the sunlight.

* * *

><p><em>Does anyone here speak Latin? I figured, archaic language = Latin. I used Google Translate, and we all know how reliable that is. I believe it's supposed to say, May Arceus Bless Your Journey. Yes? No?<em>

_Plot should pick up soon. I'm also going to try to update faster (not that I don't aways say that), but Palladium's about to reach its anniversary, and I want to finish before anniversary #2 comes along._

_Review Responses!_

_Youngster Joey: Duly noted. Thanks!_

_The Last Dragonite: I assumed that it was you, though I have to admit it did cause some confusion at first. I guess they've been making so many additions and changes to the formatting that it glitches. I preferred the old way, myself._

_Well, hopefully, the Budew can make up for the loss of character development by helping out the story. Besides, I got stuff planned for her. And I suppose you know already, but nope. Not Lucy. And thanks again for beta-reading._

_Rogue Krayt Dragon: Thank you! I hope it gets better - it's been going for nearly a year, if I hadn't improved, that wouldn't be very good._

_Review, please! They make my days!_

_Sincerely,_

_Russetwing_

_PS Black/White 2 anyone? Opinions?_


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